Phungling (Taplejung), Oct 5: The Kanchanjungha region has witnessed a rise on the arrival of domestic and foreign tourists, thereby making base camp bustling.
On Friday alone, 65 foreign tourists left for the base camp. According to Tasi Tenzing, a tourism assistant at the Office of the Kanchanjungha Conservation Area Management Council in Ghunsa, the visitors are from Spain, France, Australia, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Romania, the US, Poland, and India.
The increase in tourists’ arrival has elated the tourism professionals and businesspersons.
A hotelier at Kanchanjungha Entry Point of Phaktanglung Rural Municipality-6, Pema Sherpa, viewed as more number of tourists came visited recently, the hotels closed earlier have started reopening.
Domestic tourists have also started coming to Kanchanjungha region from cities like Biratnagar, Dharan, Damak. Tourism business is the main income of the locals of Kyapla, Phale, Ghunsa, Khabajen, and Lonak of Phaktanglung Rural Municipality-6.
According to the statistics of the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Management Council, 52 hotels are operating on the way to the base camp. Of them, Singinamjong Hotel, built with an investment of more than Rs 70 million is also in operation at Gapla of Phaktanglung Rural Municipality-6. It is a luxury hotel.
Local products are consumed in the hotels which contribute to local economy.
Tourist assistant dies
Meanwhile, an assistant of a tourists’ team on the way to the Kanchanjungha base camp was died after he was hit by a stone. Tika Bahadur Rai of Silichong Rural Municipality-5 of Sankhuwasabha died due to a landslide at Ilifok near Japantar of Phaktanglung Rural Municipality-6, according to the District Police Office.
Police have not been able to retrieve the dead body owing to continuous landslip.
However, other members of the team are safe, police confirmed.
