In the shadow of Mt. Everest, a business boom goes bust, spoiled by COVID-19

On Sept. 1, 2019, four months before researchers in China identified a novel coronavirus, KC Krishna opened his first business in the heart of Namche Bazaar, the tourism hub of Nepal’s Mt. Everest region.

Climbers typically account for less than 1% of visitors to the region. Trekkers make up the rest, and they have remained almost entirely absent this season. In 2019, 7,993 people entered Sagarmatha National Park by the end of March. This year, the number was 255. Already, some business owners from out of town have cut their losses and returned to farming communities.

Namche Bazaar is a five- to seven-day hike from the nearest road; goods are delivered via plane from Kathmandu to Lukla, then by helicopter or porter from Lukla to Namche. The shipping fee for a 2-liter bottle of Coke hovers around $2.60 — more than many Nepalis earn in a day. And Namche Bazaar is more accessible than most villages in upper Khumbu. Such costs make starting a business in the region a daunting commitment.

The tourism drought in the Everest region has depressed demand for local goods, affecting growers, herders and everyone else in the money economy. “Right now, everything is going to credit,” said Krishna, who is relying on the good faith of local grocers for food supplies.“It’s a tight situation for each and every one here right now,” said Menuka Basnet, who along with her father runs the grocery across the street. “We are selling for so little. If we sell for low prices, they’ll ask for lower prices. We have to see if we can give or not. Sometimes we can, and sometimes we can’t.

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