MYAGDI: Popular tourist destinations in Myagdi district have been unusually deserted during what is typically the peak season for tourism.
Hotels and tourism entrepreneurs, who would normally be busy welcoming a high volume of guests in the months of October and November, are facing a sharp decline in visitors this year.
According to Rajan Lama, a hotel entrepreneur in Beni, the tourism business has been significantly affected due to transportation disruptions caused by the Gen-Z movement movement and landslides along key roadways, including the Narayanghat-Muglin and Muglin-Kathmandu routes that connect to the capital, Kathmandu.
“Despite the festive holidays and this being the ideal season for trekking and pilgrimage, tourist arrivals this year are the lowest in the past 20 years,” said Lama. “Hotels and tourist spots are virtually empty.”
In previous years, the onset of October would bring crowds of both domestic and international tourists to Beni, Galeshwor, Bhurung-Tatopani, and Dana—particularly those en route to Mustang.
Before Ghatasthapana, many pilgrims from Nepal and India would travel to Kagbeni to perform ancestral rituals and visit Muktinath during the Sohra Shraddha period.
This year, the number of pilgrims visiting Kagbeni and Muktinath has significantly decreased. Dam Bahadur Pun, a hotelier in the Ghodepani-Poon Hill area—part of the world-renowned Annapurna Circuit Trek—also reported an alarming drop in tourist numbers.
“A group of 36 foreign tourists who had booked my hotel canceled, citing the current difficulties in the country,” he said. “Foreign tourist numbers are less than a third of what they used to be, and even domestic visitors haven’t come.”
Tourists who stay in Ghodepani typically hike for 30 minutes to reach Poon Hill (3,210 meters above sea level), a popular viewpoint for sunrise and panoramic views of the Himalayas. In previous autumn seasons, this area used to welcome around 300 foreign tourists and a similar number of domestic visitors each day.
Ghodepani, the main tourist hub in Myagdi, has 25 well-equipped hotels with a daily accommodation capacity of 1,000 people. However, road upgrades on the Chitre-Ghodepani route—connecting Pokharebagar, the center of Annapurna Rural Municipality—have caused additional inconvenience for domestic travelers due to limited vehicle access.
Other tourist sites like Singa Tatopani in Beni Municipality-4 and Bhurung Tatopani Kund in Annapurna Rural Municipality-2 are also empty. Singa Tatopani Kund, a natural hot spring with water temperatures reaching 50°C, is known for its therapeutic properties. Bhurung-Tatopani is a popular rest stop for tourists traveling along the Beni-Jomsom road toward Mustang.
Amritman Sherchan, a hotelier from Bhurung-Tatopani, said the situation has become so dire that they are now seeking alternative employment due to the lack of visitors.
“The tourist arrivals before Dashain have been disappointing,” he said. “If the situation doesn’t improve after the festival, we fear we’ll be forced to abandon our businesses and look for other ways to pay off our debts.”
Bhurung-Tatopani is also the entry point for the Maurice Herzog trekking route, which leads to the Annapurna Base Camp. With low footfall even in such iconic areas, local tourism-based livelihoods remain under serious threat.
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