Nepal Seeks Return of Mount Everest Climbers to Unfreeze Economy

After closing its mountains to climbers in March because of the coronavirus pandemic, Nepal is trying to restart the economy that revolves around Mount Everest. But it’s pretty clear that 2020, which officials had christened “Visit Nepal Year,” is going to be a washout.

The tiny nation is home to 8 of the 14 highest mountains on Earth. Tourism accounted for almost 8% of gross domestic product in 2018, according to the London-based World Travel and Tourism Council, with the sector supporting more than 1 million jobs. Everest expeditions alone contributed more than $300 million last year.

The Nepali government had set an ambitious target of welcoming 2 million visitors to the country this year, almost double 2019’s number. Instead, international arrivals totaled just 180,131 through October, compared with 795,199 in the same period last year.

None are more dependent on the Everest economy than the 100,000-plus Sherpa people living in Nepal, who are famous for their ability to labor at high altitudes where the air contains less oxygen (nearly a third of its land surpasses an elevation of 3,500 meters, or 11,400 feet). Climbers depend on Sherpas to prepare hazardous climbing routes with ropes and ladders, and transport up to eight tons of supplies to prepare campsites.

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