Annapurna Sanctuary Tourism Festival was organized in Annapurna Base Camp at the height of 4,160 meters in Annapurna Rural Municipality of Kaski district in October 2017. The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Development Committee inaugurated the seven-month-long festival at the ABC. The festival was organized jointly by the Annapurna Sanctuary Tourism Festival Committee, National Trust For Nature Conservation (NTNC), Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), and Nepal Tourism Board (NTB).
The festival was held in three phases with the aim of promoting tourism by bringing to public notice that Mt. Annapurna I (8,091) is the first peak over 8,000 meters climbed by mountaineers in the world. The first phase of the festival included Himalayan herbs stalls, observation of Annapurna region, a glacier journey, a photo exhibition of traditional hotels, and Himalayan bird watching.
The second phase of the festival included the inauguration of Tamu Lhosar (celebration of Gurung’s New Year), sports competitions, folk songs, and dance shows among various cultural programmes. Similarly, the final and third phases of the festival took place in Ghandruk in the Annapurna region and comprised of Annapurna Marathon, engender of Hindu mythology, an open volleyball competition, and an essay competition. Finally, the Annapurna Sanctuary Tourism Festival came to an end on June 03, 2018, which coincided with the 68th anniversary of Mt. Annapurna’s ascent.
