Visitor numbers to Mustang District have declined slightly in the first seven months of the current fiscal year, despite improved road access and growing domestic travel, according to local police data.

Police records show that 325,558 tourists entered Mustang between mid-July and mid-February. Of them, 69,814 were foreign nationals while 252,664 were domestic visitors.

Monthly figures indicate a steady flow of travellers via the national pride highway linking Beni–Jomsom–Korala Road. Arrivals peaked during the autumn months with 83,766 visitors recorded in Kartik (October–November), followed by 75,599 in Asoj.

However, compared with the same period last year, overall arrivals have fallen by 18,171 visitors, a drop of 5.33%. During the first eight months of the previous fiscal year, 340,729 tourists had visited the district.

According to the District Police Office Mustang, visitor data is collected at Ghassa on the border of Myagdi District and Mustang for those travelling by road. Additional records are maintained for passengers arriving by air from Pokhara to Jomsom, as well as trekkers entering through Manang and crossing Thorong La Pass.

Despite the recent dip, long-term trends show growth. More than 454,000 visitors came in fiscal year 2023–24, rising sharply to over 705,000 the following year.

Officials attribute the overall increase to gradual improvements in road connectivity, particularly along the Beni–Jomsom–Korala route, which has made travel easier.

Many visitors from neighbouring South Asian countries, especially India travel to Mustang primarily for pilgrimage to the Muktinath Temple. Domestic tourists are also visiting religious sites such as Kagbeni to perform ancestral rituals.

Only around three percent of foreign tourists continue onward to Upper Mustang, while improved access along the Jomsom–Korala section has encouraged more Nepali travellers to reach the Korala Pass near the Nepal–China border.