Tourism activity in Ghandruk, a popular tourist village in Annapurna Rural Municipality-10 and 11 of Kaski district, has started to pick up after the road connecting Birethanti to Ghandruk was reopened. The road had remained disrupted due to landslides triggered by continuous rainfall and floods, affecting tourist movement to the destination. With the road now accessible and the weather improving, visitors have gradually started returning to Ghandruk.
Sneha Gurung, Managing Director of Nirmal Villa in Ghandruk, said tourist activity in the village had started to revive following the improvement in road access. She said tourism businesses had reached an almost standstill during the monsoon after landslides and road disruptions discouraged visitors from traveling to the area.
“The festive season has begun along with the tourist season, and the road has also become accessible,” Gurung said. “There were virtually no tourists in Ashadh, Shrawan and Bhadra. Visitors have now started arriving gradually, giving us hope that tourism will recover.”
Businesses Hope for Gradual Recovery
Local tourism entrepreneurs said the reopening of the road needs to be communicated widely, as many potential visitors may still believe that the route to Ghandruk remains difficult or inaccessible. Laxman Gurung, operator of Hotel Rock and Mood and president of Rodhi Club Ghandruk, said there was a need to spread the message that tourists could now travel to the village without major road-related concerns.
“Tourists have started arriving, but many people may still think the road is in poor condition,” he said. “Some may even have cancelled their plans because they believed the road to Ghandruk had not been restored. We now need to communicate that the road is accessible and encourage tourists to visit with confidence.”
According to him, landslides at several locations were cleared following continuous rainfall, allowing vehicles and tourists to reach Ghandruk again. However, tourist arrivals have yet to reach the levels expected during the peak season. “Guests are not coming in numbers as low as during Shrawan and Bhadra, but the number is still not sufficient,” he said. “My hotel can accommodate up to 45 guests. In previous years, it would be full during this period, but this year we are receiving only around five to seven guests a day.”
Daily Tourist Arrivals Reach 200–300
Vikram Gurung, president of the Ghandruk Tourism Management Committee, said tourism activity had gradually started becoming more vibrant as both the road conditions and weather improved. He said around 200 to 300 tourists are currently visiting Ghandruk daily. “This is the time when tourists normally start arriving. We were very concerned when the road was disrupted during this period,” he said. “After joint efforts to restore the road, guests have started coming again.”
Gurung recalled that Ghandruk used to become heavily crowded during this season in previous years, with accommodation facilities sometimes unable to accommodate all visitors. “In the past, we sometimes had to turn guests away because there were not enough places to stay,” he said. “This year, arrivals are gradually increasing. At present, around 200 to 300 visitors are coming daily.”
Call to Spread Message That Ghandruk Is Open
The tourism committee has also urged tourism stakeholders and local residents to spread information that the road to Ghandruk has reopened. According to Gurung, the destination traditionally receives a large number of domestic tourists during the festive season. However, visitors who knew about the earlier road disruption may not yet be aware that access has been restored.
“This is the period when we receive the highest number of Nepali guests,” he said. “People may know that the road was blocked because of continuous rainfall, but they may not know that it has reopened.” “Our message to everyone in Ghandruk is that the weather has improved and the road is open. Please come and visit without hesitation. We are ready to welcome you,” he added.
Ghandruk Can Accommodate 2,500 Guests Daily
Ghandruk has a substantial accommodation capacity to serve visitors during the tourist season. According to Gurung, the village currently has around 95 hotels and 45 homestays, with the capacity to accommodate approximately 2,500 guests in a single day. He said additional visitors could also be accommodated in private homes if demand exceeds the capacity of hotels and homestays.
“There are currently 95 hotels and 45 homestays in Ghandruk, and they can accommodate around 2,500 guests per day,” Gurung said. “If there are more visitors, arrangements can also be made in private homes. Our objective is to ensure that no guest who reaches Ghandruk has to return without accommodation.”
The reopening of the Birethanti–Ghandruk road has therefore brought renewed optimism among local tourism businesses. With the festive season underway, improving weather and easier road access are expected to support a gradual recovery in tourist arrivals and revive economic activity in one of Kaski’s prominent mountain tourism destinations.
