Every year, the Everest region, one of Nepal’s major tourist hubs, draws thousands of mountaineers, trekkers, and high-end (luxury) tourists from the world over. Helicopter sightseeing, which is as popular as trekking and mountain climbing, caters to tourists willing to spend generously to get a close glimpse of Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world. Such sightseeing adventures also significantly benefit hotels, airlines, local businesses and the country’s overall economy. However, starting January 1, 2025, the Sagarmatha National Park has decided to impose a blanket ban on helicopter sightseeing tours in the region. This has sparked an acrimonious debate among stakeholders.

This seemingly lucrative tourism practice has a darker side. While helicopters support tourism in the national park and surrounding region, they are harmful to the wild animals living in the park’s relatively undisturbed areas. According to official data, there are over 6,000 chopper flights in the Everest region during spring and autumn—the peak tourist seasons. These flights cause excessive noise pollution and disrupt the wildlife’s feeding and breeding patterns. Low-flying helicopters are particularly dangerous to the Himalayan Tahr and Himalayan Goral. According to park sources, some animals are dying by jumping off the cliffs due to the abrupt, loud noises of the choppers. Others are fleeing their natural habitats and straying into nearby villages where they pose challenges to local communities.

Thus the park’s concern about wildlife is understandable. It is also home to the world’s rarest species, including snow leopards and red pandas. The protection of these animals cannot be overlooked as it helps maintain biodiversity and contributes to wildlife tourism. According to park officials, other reasons, including haphazard landing of the copters and suspicion of transport of wildlife contraband also prompted them to take such an action. However, the abrupt and arbitrary manner in which the ban was imposed is concerning as it will affect the region’s tourism. Tour operators, helicopter companies, as well as the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, the country’s civil aviation regulator, have criticised the ban made without consultations and exploration of alternatives. The CAAN has also clarified that the park has no legal basis to enforce such a ban.

Nepal’s tourism sector is still in the post-Covid recovery phase. To make things worse, the European Union has extended its ban on Nepali airlines. Entrepreneurs who have invested in tourism are still suffering big losses. At this juncture, high-end tourism products like helicopter sightseeing could be a lifesaver for the ailing industry. So rather than blaming each other, the park and civil aviation authorities should try to find common ground and opt for a more balanced approach.

As experts have suggested, establishing designated flight corridors away from sensitive wildlife habitats or conservation areas could be a viable solution to cut noise pollution. If concerns of the national park authority related to contraband and haphazard landings are genuine, monitoring activities in the region should be strengthened, and the aviation watchdog should hold the operators involved accountable. Wildlife and tourism are lifelines of our economy and there is a need to maintain a calibrated balance between the two. We believe, with a little more thought, a way can be worked out for them to coexist.