Kathmandu [Nepal], August 24 – Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s private visit to Mustang has generated fresh excitement among local residents and tourism entrepreneurs with stakeholders hoping the high-profile trip will bring greater national attention and investment to the Himalayan district.
Shah drove himself from Pokhara to Mustang through the Beni-Jomsom road after spending a night in Pokhara. He visited the Muktinath Temple and performed prayers before staying overnight in Jomsom. He is scheduled to return to Kathmandu from Mustang on Monday.
Local stakeholders say Shah’s decision to travel by road was particularly significant as it allowed him to directly experience the condition of the Beni-Jomsom road a key route for both local residents and tourists visiting Muktinath.
Raju Prasad Lalchan, president of the Mustang Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the visit could help promote religious tourism centered on Muktinath and attract greater investment in tourism infrastructure.
He also called for improvements to the Beni-Jomsom road and the operation of the immigration office at the Korala border point including passport services which he said could facilitate pilgrims traveling toward Kailash Mansarovar through Tibet.
Local tourism entrepreneurs cited previous high-profile visits as evidence of their potential impact. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Muktinath in May 2018 was followed by a significant rise in Indian pilgrims while former President Bidhya Devi Bhandari’s visit in 2021 also had a positive impact on tourism according to local businesses.
Stakeholders now hope Shah’s visit will translate into long-term improvements in roads and tourism infrastructure while also easing restrictions on foreign visitors to upper Mustang.
