The Manaslu region in northern Gorkha welcomed 12,512 foreign tourists in the last fiscal year of 2024-25, marking the highest number since it opened to visitors in 1995.

According to the Manaslu Conservation Area Project (MCAP), the figure represents a sharp rise from 9,783 visitors in 2023-24. The influx follows a gradual recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic.

 The MCAP chief Santosh Sherchan said tourists from France and Germany topped the list last year, with 1,407 French and 1,130 German visitors. Hikers from the Netherlands, Israel, Australia, Spain, Canada, Poland, and Italy also frequented the area.

Peak tourist seasons remain March-May and September-November. Sherchan said improvements in trekking trails, especially the difficult Chaurikharka section to Chum Valley, have made travel easier. The MCAP also installed 35 signposts and 16 trail markers to ensure safer journeys, with further upgrades planned in Chum and Nubri valleys.