Two of the items buzzing in the news lately are; the surge of Chinese tourists arrival in Nepal and Cyclone Hudhud’s toll in most of Indian and Nepalese cities.
60% of Foreign Tourists (Excluding Indians) are Chinese
A neighboring nation and a friend in need, China has recently started to dominate the local tourism market of Nepal. The surge in arrival of Chinese tourists is overtaking tourist arrivals from other nations.
According to HAN (Hotel Association of Nepal), almost 50-60 % of the hotels are occupied by Chinese tourists. The surge in tourist arrival is also because of improved connectivity with Chinese cities. Currently, 3 Chinese airlines commence flight from different Chinese cities to Nepal on a daily basis. Most of them prefer to take a short trek in Nepal.
As Autumn kicks in, trekking trails of Nepal come alive. Everest Base Camp, Annapurna Base Camp and Annapurna Circuit are populated by adventure enthusiasts from all around the world.
Nepal takes severe pounding from Cyclone Hudhud
Cyclone Hudhud which originated in North Indian Ocean is considered the strongest tropical cyclone of 2014.
Hudhud originated from a low pressure that formed under the influence of an upper-air cyclonic circulation in the Andaman Sea on October 6. The system drifted westward and intensified into a depresion and subsequently into a deep depression the following day. ~Wikipedia
The northeastern regions of India; Andhra Pradesh and Visakhapatnam, and eastern and central regions of Nepal has suffered the most from the cyclone. Autumn (Sep-Nov) is considered the niche season for trekking and other adventure travel activities in Nepal. The continuous downpour effected most of the mid-western trails, such as; Annapurna and Langtang, however, experts suggest that the downpour will soon end, therfore, ensuring a healthy weather for trekkers waiting to pack their bags for the adventure.