Businesses catering to tourists in Tehrathum have seen an uptick in demand as more tourists choose the district as a stopover location on their way to KanchanJungha base camp.

The trekking trail is packed with large number of tourists headed towards the base camp. Kanchanjunga is the third highest mountain peak in the world and is one of the most challenging to ascend.

“Business has picked up recently and almost all the hotels in the district have full occupancy,” said Uday Tamang, who owns Laliguras Hotel in the district, “Majority of the tourists that visit our district are travelling to Kanchanjungha base camp in Taplejung district. Therefore the business is good during this time of the year.”   

The district attracts not only trekkers going to the base camp but also foreign tourists looking to experience the massive bio-diversity of the region.

The region is home to around 28 species of rhododendron flowers. According to Laxman Tiwari, general secretary of Tourism Development and Promotion Committee of the district, many visit this place to enjoy the picturesque scene when the rhododendron flower blossom. 

Tourists are also camped at various open spaces along the trail. Dave, a tourist from London, is visiting for the fourth time and said that the bio-diversity in the region is the major attraction for him.

According to Hari Ale, a district local who works as guide to trekkers to Kanchanjungha base camp, hundreds of tourists are heading towards the base camp daily. “Everyday hundreds of tourists are travelling towards the base camp via the trekking route at Basantapur,” said Ale who has been working a tourist guide since 1995.

With the surge in tourist arrivals, the district is witnessing increased investment in the tourism sector. Hotels with good facilities have mushroomed in the area. Similarly, the Tourism Ministry is investing Rs20 million to build a viewing tower.

“We hope the sector will be more vibrant in coming days,” said Tamang who recently expanded his hotel which can accommodate 50 tourists.