In a major boost to Nepal’s tourism economy, the Department of Tourism has collected over Rs 770 million in royalties from the spring mountaineering season this year. According to the Mountaineering Section of the Department, a total of Rs 773,587,915 was collected in royalties as of Sunday.
Everest Dominates Royalties
Mount Everest (Sagarmatha) alone contributed a staggering Rs 676,009,028 in royalty, reinforcing its position as the most lucrative peak for Nepal. Out of 26 permitted peaks, Everest saw the highest number of climbing expeditions, with 45 teams comprising 84 women and 372 men totaling 456 climbers from 57 countries receiving permits.
Spring Mountaineering Season
In total, 1,127 climbers, including 240 women and 887 men across 119 expedition teams, received permits for spring expeditions. Other popular mountains for this season included Ama Dablam (10 groups, 102 climbers), Lhotse (9 groups, 107 climbers), Makalu (8 groups, 79 climbers), Kanchenjunga (7 groups, 75 climbers), Nuptse (6 groups, 76 climbers), and Annapurna (6 groups, 66 climbers).
Director of the Department, Leeladhar Awasthi, emphasized that spring is traditionally the most favorable season for mountaineering in Nepal. The number of climbers is expected to increase further as permits continue to be issued.
