With the arrival of both domestic and international tourists, the Kanchenjunga Base Camp area has become bustling once again. On Friday, 65 foreign tourists departed for the base camp, rejuvenating the local tourism scene.
According to Tasi Tenzing, a tourism assistant at the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Management Council office in Ghunsa, tourists from Spain, France, Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Romania, the United States, Poland, and India are making their way to the base camp. This influx of visitors has excited local tourism businesses.
Pema Sherpa, a hotel owner from Ghunsa in Fakthanglung Rural Municipality-6, mentioned that with the increase in tourist activity, many hotels that had been closed have now reopened. In addition to foreign visitors, domestic tourists from cities like Biratnagar, Dharan, and Damak have also started arriving in the Kanchenjunga area.
The primary source of income for the residents of Kapla, Phale, Ghunsa, Khabachen, and Lonak villages in Fakthanglung Rural Municipality-6 is tourism. According to the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Management Council, 52 hotels are operating along the route to the Kanchenjunga Base Camp. A significant investment has also been made in the local hospitality industry, with the Singinamjong Hotel in Kapla, which cost over 70 million NPR, now in operation. As local products are being consumed in these hotels, the economic condition of the residents is steadily improving.
In a tragic incident, one member of a trekking team en route to the Kanchenjunga Base Camp lost his life after being struck by falling rocks. Tikabahadur Rai from Silichong Rural Municipality-5, Sankhuwasabha, was hit by a rock that fell during a landslide near Iliphok in the Japan Tar area of Fakthanglung Rural Municipality-6.
The District Police Office reported that despite efforts by a team from the Lungthung police post, they were unable to retrieve Rai’s body due to ongoing landslides. Additional security personnel have been deployed to assist in recovering the body. The other members of the trekking team are reported to be safe.
Source: RSS
