KATHMANDU: As the Sagarmatha (Mt Everest) ascent season unfolds, the government has amassed over Rs 500 million in royalties.

The Tourism Department reports a collection of Rs 505 million from 352 individuals who secured climbing permits for the world’s highest peak, Sagarmatha.

Rakesh Gurung, Director of the Adventure Tourism and Mountaineering Section at the Department, noted a significant increase in adventure tourists this year.

“The Department is following the revenue collection procedures from previous years and anticipates meeting its targets,” he added.

The Department has updated a total of 352 mountaineers from 33 expeditions, including 65 women and 287 men, representing 55 countries.

Last year, 478 climbers arrived, generating revenue of Rs 760 million, compared to the Rs 505 million collected this year.

Gurung estimates that an additional Rs 500 to Rs 700 million in revenue could be generated this season.

Under the mountaineering regulation of 2059, the government imposes a fee of Rs 1.1 million on each foreign climber during the Spring season for Sagarmatha, while Nepali climbers are required to pay Rs 75,000.

Foreign climbers typically spend between Rs 3 to 10 million on a Sagarmatha ascent.

“Sagarmatha ascent is particularly encouraging this Spring, with more than 352 climbers recorded by April 19.

It’s likely that three to four additional permits will be issued, potentially surpassing 400 climbers,” Gurung shared.

Mingma Sherpa, Chairman of Seven Summit Treks, emphasized Sagarmatha’s status as the ultimate destination for climbers and expressed satisfaction with the surge in climbers, which he believes will revive the country’s tourism sector.

In addition to Sagarmatha, other popular climbing destinations include Makalu, Annapurna, Kanchanjungha, Dhaulagiri, Lhotse, and Amadablam.

Currently, Sherpa climbers are engaged in preparing the trail and fixing ropes, with the route up to the second base camp of Sagarmatha already prepared.