MUSTANG: The religious and tourist district of Mustang celebrated World Tourism Day today. The Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), Jomsom, and Lomanthang organized separate programs to mark the occasion.
In Jomsom, Ghansa, and Lomanthang, both domestic and international tourists were welcomed with scarves and flowers. At Jomsom Airport in Ghapajhong Rural Municipality-3, foreign visitors arriving by air were greeted with traditional music, according to ACAP Jomsom’s Conservation Assistant Deepak Oli. The event was organized by ACAP Jomsom in coordination with the Puthang Mothers Group and Jomsom Women’s Group.
On the occasion, performers from the Indrabaks Gana group welcomed tourists arriving by air, while members of the local mothers’ groups presented scarves and flowers. The event also included interactions with tourists and information on Mustang’s cultural, religious, and tourist sites.
Tourists entering Mustang by road were welcomed at the ACAP check post in Ghansa, Thasang Rural Municipality-4, by ACAP representatives, mothers’ groups, and local officials. Similarly, a welcome program for foreign tourists was organized in Lomanthang, Upper Mustang, under the coordination of ACAP Lomanthang, said Office Chief Umesh Paudel. Local tourism entrepreneurs, citizens, security personnel, and representatives actively participated in the events, providing tourists with warm hospitality and information about the area’s tourist attractions.
Tourism operators in Mustang, affected by the Gen-Z protests on September 8-9, are hopeful for revival as air services between Pokhara and Jomsom resumed on Friday. Summit Airlines operated three flights carrying international tourists, said Station Chief Suman Thakali. The arrival of tourists and resumption of air services has brought renewed hope for local tourism businesses in Mustang.
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