Kathmandu. Tourism in the mountainous district of Mustang has also been affected after the development disaster in Bhotekoshi of Rasuwa on August 26. According to the tourism statistics of the District Police Office, Mustang, the number of domestic and foreign tourists has decreased in the month of August as compared to the previous year.

The number of tourists visiting Mustang has dropped sharply after the Rasuwa floods disrupted the Kaligandaki Corridor (Beni-Jomsom-Korala) roadway, flood, landslide and river erosion disrupted the road dozens of times in the month of July.

According to the police, the number of tourists decreased by 29,274 in August as compared to the month of August of the current year. This is 47.78 percent less in August than in the previous month. According to the data of tourist arrival at the border police post of Mustang under the District Police Office, Mustang, 61,263 tourists, including 30,655 domestic tourists, 31,575 from SAARC and 193 from other countries, visited Mustang in the month of July this year.

Similarly, a total of 31,989 tourists, including 16,503 domestic tourists, 15,138 from SAARC and 348 from other countries, visited Mustang in August this year. According to Santosh Basyal, information officer and police inspector at the District Police Office, Mustang, the number of domestic tourists has decreased by 14,152 (46.16) percent and the arrival of SAARC tourists by 16,437 (52.05) percent in August after the Rasuwa floods.

However, the number of tourists from domestic and SAARC countries has decreased and the number of tourists from other countries has increased compared to the previous month. In August, 193 tourists from other countries visited Mustang, while in August, 155 more tourists visited Mustang, according to Police Inspector Basyal.

According to the District Police Office, Mustang, a total of 93,252 domestic and foreign tourists visited Mustang in July and August this year. According to Inspector Basyal, 47,158 domestic tourists, 46,713 SAARC tourists and 441 tourists from other countries visited Mustang in July and August.

Police Inspector Basyal said that the number of tourists visiting Mustang might be less as all the Nepali people are in mourning due to the Rasuwa flood incident of August 26. In the last fiscal year 2082÷83, 19,781 tourists visited Mustang and 23,205 tourists visited Mustang in August. Although the number of tourists increased in July and August of this year compared to the last year, the number of tourists has decreased in August compared to the same period last year.