However, no government officials attended the celebrations. On Tuesday, the Tourism Ministry had said in a statement that they would be observing Everest Day at a later date as it coincided with Loktantra Day (Democracy Day), and they had more important things to do.

The ministry said that although both events were highly significant in Nepal’s history, it decided to postpone Everest Day as its celebration could diminish the commemoration of Loktantra Day that marked a new era in Nepal’s political history. The government plans to celebrate International Everest Day around July-August.

“The historic day has always been celebrated under the leadership of the government, but this year the government remained completely uninterested in leading such a big event,” said Hari Sarmah, chief executive officer of the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Natta).

“Although, the government said that it was forced to postpone the event as they had to mark Loktantra Day, the private sector celebrated both the events amid fanfare.” More than 2,000 travel trade entrepreneurs including Everesters carried out a rally in the morning. The procession concluded at the premises of the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB).

The lone surviving member of the 1953 expedition, 81-year-old Kanchha Sherpa, was felicitated during the ceremony. On Wednesday evening, hundreds of mountaineers took part in a candle light march to remember the 16 Sherpas who died in the deadliest Everest avalanche on April 18.

Meanwhile, the private sector has accused the government of boycotting Everest Day due to the ongoing protest against the government and the NTB and the deaths of high-altitude guides in an avalanche that led to charges of official negligence and the spring climbing season being prematurely closed.  More than 35 travel trade associations have been holding a demonstration against the government and the NTB demanding that the country’s tourism promotion body be straightened out.

Relations between the government and the tourism industry had soured after Tourism Secretary Sushil Ghimire warned that the entrepreneurs holding a sit-in at the NTB against alleged financial irregularities could be arrested.

Angered by the threat, travel traders stepped up their protest stating that it was utterly irresponsible for a high-level bureaucrat like Ghimire to make such a remark. The protest programme has continued for a month, but the government has no signs of addressing their demands. “This also points to the growing distance between the government and the private sector,” Sarmah added. 

Ang Tshering Sherpa, president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, said that the government used to give equal importance to both the events in past years, but this year its priorities have been different. “We don’t understand why the government did not accord priority to the Everest Day celebration this year.”

The 1950s which saw a number of firsts were one of the most important periods in Nepal’s tourism history. Annapurna I was conquered by Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal of France in 1950. Tenzing and Hillary scaled Everest in 1953. These two successful ascents did much to publicize Nepal as a destination to the world leading to an exceptional growth in mountaineering activities.

Last year, 678 climbers obtained climbing permits for Everest, and among them, 567 succeeded in reaching the top of the world’s highest peak, according to the Tourism Ministry. There were 334 mountaineering guides including a few Nepali climbers.

The government earned $ 3.16 million in Everest royalties last year. Everest has seen only a single climb as of now. A Chinese woman named Wang Jing climbed Everest on May 23, but her achievement was clouded by charges that she flew in a helicopter from Base Camp to Camp 2 which is not permitted. The government is investigating the issue. According to government statistics, 4,411 people have climbed Everest since the first ascent in 1953.