Myagdi: The long festival holidays of Dashain, Tihar, and Chhath have brought an unexpected surge of domestic tourists to Mustang and the Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) in Myagdi district. The flow of visitors, which began in the last week of Asoj, has continued well into mid-Kartik, overwhelming hotels and local facilities.

Mustang and Annapurna Base Camp have become popular getaways for students, youth, employees, bankers, and Nepalis returning from abroad. Hotels in Mustang, Myagdi, Baglung, and Parbat are operating at full capacity, forcing some travelers to stay in community halls, private homes, and dharamshalas.

According to local authorities, around 8,000 people enter Mustang daily, mainly to visit Muktinath, Korala checkpoint, Lomanthang Durbar, Chhoser Cave, and Dhumbatal, among other sites. Similarly, more than 500 trekkers visit the Annapurna Base Camp every day, enjoying its short but adventurous route.

Hotelier Harikrishna Shrestha said that the rush has outpaced available infrastructure. Despite Myagdi’s capacity to host 2,000 and Mustang’s 3,000 guests per day, accommodations are insufficient due to the lack of effective tourism planning.

Meanwhile, Raju Hamal, a hotelier from Bhurung-Tatopani, said that business has finally improved after a downturn caused by the Gen-G movement and bad weather.

Subin Shrestha, President of the Myagdi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that improved road access and promotion have boosted domestic travel, inspiring new investment and capacity expansion.

However, tourists have urged the government to complete the Beni–Jomsom road upgrade, stabilize landslide-prone areas, and regulate hotel standards and service charges.

Gandaki Province Assembly Member Hari Bahadur Bhandari pledged to take initiative to address the issues facing the region’s growing tourism industry.