Sagarmatha ascent: Over Rs 500 million collected in royalty

Kathmandu: With the season of Sagarmatha ascent, the government has been able to collect over Rs. 500 million in royalty.

The Tourism Department has informed that it collected Rs 505 million from 352 persons who got climbing permits for the world’s highest peak, Sagarmatha. Director of the Adventure Tourism and Mountaineering Section at the Department, Rakesh Gurung, informed that the number of adventure tourists grew significantly this year.

The Department will collect revenue as done in the previous year. It may meet the target, he added. The Department’s updated a total of 352 mountaineers from 33 expeditions. Among them, 65 are women and 287 men. So far, the country recorded climbers from 55 countries.

Last year too maximum arrivals of climbers- a total of 478- were recorded. The Department made a revenue of Rs 760 million, while 505 has already been made this year. Gurung estimated that some Rs. 500 to Rs. 700 million more revenue could be generated this time.

The government has collected royalty for climbing 24 peaks, including the Sagarmatha. The highest peak is the source of most of the revenue. ‘This Spring, Sagarmatha’s ascent is encouraging. The number of climbers has reached more than 352 by April 19. Now, there may be three to four permits, which could increase the number of climbers to over 400,’ Gurung shared.

The mountaineering regulation, 2059 has provided to impose Rs 1.1 million from each foreign climber during the Spring season for the Sagarmatha also called Mt. Everest, while each Nepali needs to pay Rs 75,000. A foreign climber spends at least Rs 3 to 10 million for climbing the Sagarmatha once.

The major source of income in the tourism sector comes from revenue from mountain climbing. Spring season is the right time for the ascent. Sagarmatha Peak is the top destination for all climbers, says Mingma Sherpa, Chairman of Seven Summit Treks. He further said his company also saw a surge of climbers this time. He expressed happiness over the rise of mountain climbers, which he believes would restore the country’s tourism.

In addition to the highest peak in the world, Makalu, Annapurna, Kanchanjungha, Dhaulagiri, Lhotse Amadablam, and Jugal are other climbing destinations.

Currently, the Sherpa climbers are mobilized to prepare the trail with rope fixing. The route up to the second base camp of the Sagarmatha is readied.