Annapurna hotels grow from huts to a billion-rupee industry

POKHARA, July 12: Hotels first began operating inside the Annapurna Conservation Area in 1981 (2038 BS). As foreign trekkers started visiting the region, traditional makeshift shelters were gradually converted into basic lodges to provide them with accommodation. What began as a handful of simple huts has since evolved into a flourishing hospitality industry. Over the past four and a half decades, more than 1,400 hotels have come into operation across the Annapurna region alone, attracting investments worth billions of rupees.