State of Place

The number of trekkers on Nepal’s Annapurna Circuit/Muktinath Pilgrimage grew 25% in the 2009 season–but what does that mean?

According to the article linked above, it means that guesthouse owners hoping for foreign clients are refusing to serve Nepalese trekkers.

It’s unclear whether the owners are actively turning away their compatriots while waiting for foreigners, or just pricing most domestic trekkers out of the market. (And I wouldn’t be surprised if this has been going on for a while.)

Not everyone is able to afford a month-long trek, even in their own country. But when you invest the time and money to journey into one of your country’s most beautiful areas, only to learn you’re not welcome–that hurts.

Ideas?

PS — If anyone finds the link to the original ACAP stats, please post it in the comments, thanks.

Photo by Dey via Flickr.

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