Kathmandu. In the 10 months of 2026, 285,616 foreign tourists visited Mustang district.

According to the National Trust for Nature Conservation, Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), 262,012 people from SAARC countries and 28,275 from other countries visited Mustang district from January to October.

A total of 161,141 foreign tourists from SAARC and other countries visited Mustang district from January to December 2025, which is 77.62 percent in the first decade of 2026.

According to Rajesh Gupta, head of ACAP office, the number of foreign tourists has increased by 123,475 in the two months of 2026 compared to 2025.

According to the tourist statistics of ACAP Jomsom, the number of foreign tourists to SAARC countries has increased by 97 percent in the 10 months of 2026 compared to the previous year. According to Gupta, the number of foreign tourists to SAARC countries increased by 129,146 compared to the previous year.

Similarly, 23,604 foreign tourists from other countries visited Mustang in the twelve months of 2025, while 4,671 foreign tourists visited Mustang in the remaining two months of 2026. This is 16.5 percent less than the previous year.

ACAP chief Gupta said that the number of foreign tourists will not be less in the current year as November and December are two months away. This year, tourism in Mustang was partially affected due to the devastating floods in Rasuwagadhi, the closure of the Jomsom-Korala road, the suspension of air services, and other adverse weather conditions.

However, the number of tourists in Mustang has increased relatively in 2026 as compared to 2025. According to ACAP Jomsom, the increase in tourists to SAARC countries by almost 100 percent is due to the arrival of Indian tourists. According to ACAP, the number of Indian tourists is increasing every year to visit the Muktinath temple.

Likewise, the number of people entering Mustang from Manang via Thorangla pass along the Round Annapurna Charkya trekking route to other countries has also increased, according to ACAP.