Banking News — A total of 80,253 foreign tourists visited Mustang in June 2026, marking a sharp increase in international arrivals compared to the same period last year.

According to the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), Jomsom, under the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC), 78,670 tourists were from SAARC member countries, while 1,583 visitors came from other nations.

ACAP Jomsom Office Chief Rajesh Gupta said that 98.02 percent of the foreign visitors were from SAARC countries, while the remaining 1.97 percent were from other parts of the world. He added that more than 95 percent of the tourists arriving in Mustang during June were Indian nationals.

In May 2026, Mustang welcomed 65,994 foreign tourists, including 61,798 visitors from SAARC countries and 4,196 from other nations.

According to ACAP records, 20,868 foreign tourists visited Mustang in June 2025, including 19,649 from SAARC countries and 1,209 from other countries.

Gupta said that compared to June 2025, Mustang recorded an increase of 59,395 foreign visitors in June 2026 alone.

During the first six months of 2026 (January–June), a total of 222,992 foreign tourists visited Mustang. Of them, 208,011 were from SAARC countries, while 14,981 were from other nations.

In comparison, 98,481 foreign tourists visited Mustang during the first half of 2025. ACAP data shows that tourist arrivals increased by 124,511 visitors in the first six months of 2026 compared to the same period last year.

According to ACAP Jomsom, Mustang received a total of 161,142 foreign tourists throughout 2025. The data also indicates a significant rise in the number of Indian tourists visiting the district in 2026, with Indians accounting for more than 95 percent of all foreign arrivals.

Gupta said that a large number of Indian pilgrims travel to Mustang to visit the revered Muktinath Temple, with around 50 percent of Indian visitors arriving in their own private vehicles from India.

The growing influx of Indian pilgrims has boosted the hospitality industry not only in Mustang but also in the neighboring districts of Myagdi, Baglung, and Pokhara, where hotels have reported high occupancy. Most Indian visitors return after offering prayers at Muktinath.

Meanwhile, tourists from other countries primarily enter Mustang via the Annapurna Circuit Trek through Manang, while others arrive through the Pokhara–Jomsom air route or the Beni–Jomsom road corridor.

According to ACAP Lomanthang, only around three percent of tourists visiting Mustang continue onward to Upper Mustang.