30443 tourists visit Mt. Everest in 9 months

Solukhumbhu: As many as 30,443 tourists have visited Mt. Everest area during a nine- month period of the current fiscal year 2069- 70 BS.

According to the Sagarmatha National Park's Office at Jorsalle entry point, a total of 369 tourists reached Khumbu region of the national park during mid-July-mid August and 1,044 in one month period from mid- August-mid-September.

The number has rocketed to 6,647 in mid September- mid October. The number even grew higher in mid-October- mid-November while it came down to 2,717 in mid November-mid December. It has decreased to 2,772 in mid November-mid December and 1,501 in mid December 2012-mid January 2013.

Similarly, it further decreased and reached to 748 in mid January- mid February but the number increased by more than two fold in mid February-mid March to reach 2,055, and as many as 6,202 tourists went to the region in mid March-mid April.

The Office collected Rs. 72.2 million from the entry fee during the same period.

A tourist from SAARC region has to pay Rs 1,500 per head while Rs. 3,000 for tourists from other countries. Likewise, a porter pays Rs. 25 for the entry.

source: the himalayan times,26 april 2013