Kathmandu, 1 Nov: Thousands of tourists have been stranded in the Khumbu region following continuous rainfall and unseasonal snowfall over the past four days. Due to flight disruptions and transportation difficulties, around 5,500 tourists and their support staff have been affected.
According to tourism entrepreneur Toya Shrestha from Lukla, more than 600 tourists are stuck there waiting for flights at Tenzing-Hillary Airport, while many others are stranded in Surke, where vehicles can reach. With a shortage of hotels in Lukla and Surke, even foreign tourists are struggling to find accommodation.
Aman Chandra Jha, Senior ATC Officer at the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal in Lukla, said that flights have been suspended due to poor visibility, although helicopters are operating between Lukla and Phaplu. He mentioned that many tourists in Ramechhap are waiting for the weather to improve to fly to Lukla. Airlines such as Tara, Sita, and Summit had been conducting around 30 regular and non-scheduled flights daily between Ramechhap and Lukla before the disruption.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Manojit Kunwar of Solukhumbu District Police Office reported that 1,490 tourists are currently in the Everest Base Camp area alone. Among them, 220 are in Gorakshep, 235 in Lobuche, 1,000 in Dingboche, and 35 in Thukla. He added that limited movement of tourists is still ongoing.
Accommodation, Transport, and Safety Challenges Intensify
Around 1,200 tourists are currently in and around Namche Bazaar, the gateway to Mount Everest, said hotel entrepreneur Lama Kaji Sherpa. He added that Namche has a hotel capacity of about 3,500 tourists, so food and lodging are still manageable. The Hotel Entrepreneurs’ Association in Namche has also decided to maintain regular pricing for meals and lodging despite the situation.
However, transportation issues have worsened. Taking advantage of the weather situation, vehicle operators traveling from Surke to Salleri have been charging excessively high fares. Previously, the fare per person was around NPR 3,000, but now it has risen to as much as NPR 10,000. A single jeep is reportedly charging NPR 50,000 to 60,000 for full reservation, raising concerns among local business operators that such practices could send a negative message to visitors.
Chief District Officer of Solukhumbu, Lila Kumari KC Pandey, stated that the District Security Committee is on high alert to reduce possible risks from the snowfall and rainfall and to ensure timely rescue if needed. “We have identified the area above Dingboche as particularly sensitive. So far, no serious problems have been reported, and security teams are ready to respond immediately if issues arise,” she said.
Pandey also said that her office had not yet received official reports about transport fare exploitation but assured that any verified complaints would be acted upon immediately.
Meanwhile, Karma Sherpa, Senior Vice President of the Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN), said that when bad weather occurs during peak trekking season, many tourists stranded in Ramechhap choose to divert to other destinations, which has led to a decline in tourism activity in the Khumbu region.
