Pari Adhikari, Professional Trekking Guide
Nepal is celebrated globally for its natural beauty, vibrant culture, and adventure tourism. The focus of most tourism narratives, however, is overwhelmingly on foreign visitors – their numbers, spending patterns, and the economic revenue they generate. Amid all this attention, a fundamental question remains largely ignored: Where are the Nepalese travelers? How many are there, where do they go, in which season, and how long do they stay at each destination? Disturbingly, there is no centralized, reliable, and up-to-date data that can answer these basic questions.
This absence of data is not merely a minor oversight- it represents a structural problem within Nepal tourism system. When tourism decisions rely on estimates rather than verified facts, the entire sector becomes vulnerable to inefficiency, inequity, and even failure. Domestic tourism in Nepal is growing rapidly, yet the extent of this growth is measured largely by anecdotal observation, social media posts, and subjective reports from hotels or local businesses. There is no standardized mechanism at the local, provincial, or national level to systematically record, analyze, and use this information.
Why Nepalese Travelers Are “Invisible”
The invisibility of Nepalese tourists stems largely from mindset and systemic issues. Nepalese citizens are often treated differently from foreign visitors. While foreign tourists are required to obtain TIMS cards, pay permits, and pass through registration checkpoints, Nepalese visitors are largely unmonitored. The prevailing perception – “It’s our own country; they can go anywhere”- has created a tourism ecosystem where domestic travelers are practically invisible in the official data.
The consequences of this oversight are profound. The Annapurna Conservation Area, for example, is Nepal’s largest and busiest trekking destination. There are currently around 20–21 officially recognized trekking routes, including popular trails like Ghorepani–Poonhill, Annapurna Base Camp (ABC), Annapurna Circuit Trek (ACT), Mardi Himal, Khayer Lake, Millennium Trek, and the Nar–Phu region.
For foreign visitors, data collection exists in some form – whether through ACAP entry permits, checkpoint records, or trekking agency reports. But for Nepalese trekkers, no mandatory registration system exists. There are no records at entry points, checkpoints, or the destinations themselves. This makes domestic tourists statistically invisible and severely hampers the ability to assess trail traffic, environmental impact, and sustainable use.
Lack of Hotel and Infrastructure Records
The situation is equally concerning regarding accommodations and supporting infrastructure. There is no centralized record of hotels, guesthouses, or homestays across most trekking and tourism regions. Individual municipalities may report 50 hotels, while local business groups might claim 70 – yet no authoritative source verifies these numbers.
This lack of data affects multiple layers of tourism :
Business planning : Investors cannot make informed decisions on hotel expansions or new service offerings. Infrastructure development: Road maintenance, waste management, water, and electricity needs remain poorly estimated. Crisis management: Natural disasters, medical emergencies, or sudden surges in tourist numbers are difficult to respond to without accurate tracking.
Foreign vs. Domestic Data Disparity in Annapurna
Within the Annapurna region, the contrast between recorded foreign tourists and unrecorded Nepalese trekkers is striking. Seasonal surges of domestic trekkers go largely unnoticed in official statistics. Trails like Ghorepani–Poonhill may see thousands of Nepalese visitors each season, yet these figures do not appear in any central database. Consequently, decisions about which trails require maintenance, which need environmental protection, and where new routes can be promoted are based on incomplete information.
Newer routes, including Kapuche Lake, Kori Trek , North ABC, Khayer Lake, Millennium Trek , Khumai danda , Mohare Danda, Panchase ,& Many More have growing domestic popularity. Yet without proper monitoring of Nepalese visitors, trail management, funding allocation, and sustainability planning remain provisional and speculative.
Why Accurate Data is Essential
Accurate, centralized data is no longer optional – it is critical for multiple reasons :
Safety: Knowing how many people are on each trail allows for effective emergency response, including search-and-rescue operations.
Sustainability: Monitoring trail usage and visitor pressure is essential to prevent erosion, environmental degradation, and wildlife disturbance.
Economic Planning : Understanding domestic tourism patterns helps estimate real economic contributions and plan investments accordingly.
Policy Making: Tax incentives, subsidies, infrastructure development, and tourism promotion cannot be designed effectively without reliable data.
Moving Toward a Data-Driven Tourism Model
Nepal now faces a pivotal moment. Tourism can no longer rely on anecdotal observations, assumptions, or outdated surveys. A structured, centralized system is needed to record Nepalese travelers, trail usage, accommodation capacity, and seasonal patterns. Digital registration platforms, trail monitoring systems, and coordinated reporting from municipalities to the national level are essential steps.
Until domestic tourists are visible in official data, tourism planning will remain incomplete. And the cost of this invisibility is high – not just for the tourism industry, but for the nation’s economy, cultural heritage, and environmental sustainability. The time to address these gaps is now, before the sector’s unrecorded growth undermines its long-term potential.
Nepalese travelers must no longer remain invisible.
Recognizing and tracking them is not a bureaucratic exercise – it is a prerequisite for safe, sustainable, and profitable tourism. The future of Nepal’s tourism depends on fact-based planning, not assumptions; preparation, not improvisation; and inclusivity, not selective focus.
