Rara National Park:  Turning Remote Tourism Into Profit

Rara National Park is home to the largest lake in Nepal, attracting between 10,000 and 20,000 tourists every year. Those who come here are not just ordinary sightseers; they are long-distance travelers, willing to spend, seeking adventure.

Rara National Park covers 4 Local Governments: Chhayanath Rara Municipality, Khatyad Rural Municipality, and Soru Rural Municipality from Mugu district; and Kanakasundari Rural Municipality from Jumla district.

Access to this area is regulated through a permit, which is mandatory for all tourists. 

• Nepali nationals: NPR 100
• Foreign nationals: NPR 3,000
• SAARC nationals: NPR 1,500
• Children below 10 years: Free

Source: Nepal Tourism Board

👉 Reaching Rara takes time. The roads are difficult. Transportation is expensive. But it is precisely these challenges that make Rara a unique business opportunity.

The number of tourists visiting Rara National Park has been steadily increasing. In 2021, 11,468 tourists arrived. By 2025, this number had grown to 16,589 (11 months).

What's particularly noteworthy is that the majority of tourists coming to Rara are Nepali. This means Rara is no longer just a destination for foreign trekkers – it is becoming a major hub for domestic tourism.

Source:  Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (2077/78; 2078/79; 2079/80, 2080/81); The Rising Nepal 01/07/2025

👉 Rara is not just a "future potential" – it is a tourism market that is growing right now.

Tourism in Rara is highly seasonal.

• According to 2023 data, just five months - April, May, June, October, and November account for 65% of the total Nepali tourists.

Source:  Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (2080/81)

The number of foreign tourists is still low, but it is growing.

• In 2021, only 62 foreign tourists visited. 
• By 2025, that number had reached 227.

Source:  Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (2080/81)

👉 Although the number of foreign tourists is small, they are "premium customers." 

A family travels a long distance to reach Rara. First, a flight to the small airstrip carved into the mountainside, then hours of walking through the forest. After rounding the final bend, they see Nepal's largest lake - the breathtaking Rara Lake spread beneath the blue sky.

But then the problems begin.

• No mobile signal.
• No place to stay.
• The lakeside hotels have been fully booked for weeks.
• Near Rara Lake, two hotels are in operation.  
  
  Source:  The Rising Nepal 16/11/2024; The Rising Nepal 01/07/2025; The Kathmandu Post 03/08/2025; My Republica 01/04/2019; Nepalgram Adventures 03/07/2025
  
  👉 How Growing Tourist Numbers Are Opening Up Hotel Opportunities in Rara
  

Rara is Nepal’s largest lake. Its calm environment, rare Himalayan geography, and low population density make it special. Yet, data from 2024 shows that research and filming activities in Rara have been extremely limited.

Source: Nepal Tourism Board, 2024

Where is the big potential?

A research team or a film crew visiting here can leave a much longer and deeper economic impact than an ordinary tourist.   A research team or documentary crew:

• Hires local guides
• Uses horses or porters
• Stays for weeks
• Uses local food, accommodation, and transport
• Most importantly - brings local stories to the world

👉 Rara’s future may not depend only on tourists who come to sightsee. It can also be built on knowledge, research, and a storytelling economy.

Looking at the data from recent years, the number of tourists visiting Rara is likely to increase further in 2026.

Note:  80% Confidence Interval

Rara's tourism economy is not based on "mass tourism" like Annapurna. The opportunity here lies in fewer tourists who spend more. 

• Rara's real potential lies in businesses that can operate even in a remote area, are based on local resources, connect directly with the tourist experience, can command high prices with low competition, and become part of the "Rara experience."

In a cold, hilly area like Rara, Chino has huge production potential. Health-conscious tourists, in particular, are looking for local grains, gluten-free food, nutritious dishes, and authentic Himalayan food.  

• Opportunity:  Chino dhido, Chino pancakes, trekking food, and health breakfast
  
  👉 Chino in Rara is not just farming - it can become a "Himalayan health brand."
  

Nettle Powder (Sisno) is a plant easily found in hilly regions. Once considered a weed, nettle is now being recognized as a "superfood." Foreign and health-conscious tourists are seeking natural products.

• Opportunity:  Nettle soup, herbal tea, and packaged nettle powder
  
  👉 In Rara, nettle can become a high-value health product
  

As tourism grows in Rara, waste management is becoming a major challenge. Plastic waste, in particular, can have long-term effects on the sensitive environment. This is where bio-alternatives like Duna Tapari are gaining opportunity.

• Opportunity:  Supply to hotels and tea shops, local feasts, plastic replacement, and "eco-friendly Rara" branding
  
  👉 In Rara, eco-friendly products are not an option - they are a future necessity.
  

Gundruk is a familiar part of Nepali cuisine. But in Rara, its significance is even greater. Tourists are seeking local flavors. If quality, packaging, and presentation are improved, Gundruk can transform from "ordinary food" into a "Himalayan experience."

• Opportunity:  Hotel menus, trekking food, packaged Gundruk, and local flavor branding
  
  👉 In Rara, Gundruk is not just a food item - it is a cultural experience.
  

The journey to Rara is long, dusty, and tiring. This is where the opportunity for Mohi begins. Especially in a remote area like Rara: Packaged juice is expensive, cold drinks are difficult to transport, and fresh local drinks have greater appeal

• Opportunity:  Fresh Mohi at hotels and homestays, rest stops along trekking routes, local dairy network, and "Traditional Himalayan Drink" branding
  
  👉 In Rara, Mohi can become the local experience that tourists seek.
  

The opportunity in Rara is not about "massive crowds" - it lies in the "high-value, limited market."

• Even though tourist numbers are small, they spend generously
• Remoteness acts as a barrier to competition
• Local products have a natural advantage
• Although the season is short, income is concentrated
  
  👉 The business that wins in Rara is NOT the most modern one.
  👉 The winning business is consistently needed even in a remote area, is easy to transport, and tourists buy repeatedly.