▲ Mountaineers stay at the base camp to climb Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, in Nepal
On the 8th day since a massive flood struck, the Nepalese government has appealed for tourists to visit the Himalayas to help with recovery efforts.
In a video posted on Facebook on the 2nd (local time) alongside the hashtag "#NepalCalling," Nepal's Tourism Minister Khadak Raj Paudel said, "Our mountain trails and trekking routes are still waiting for you."
Minister Paudel stated, "Visiting Nepal this time means more than just a vacation," adding, "It will be a tremendous help to a country fighting the tragedy of this flash flood disaster."
The massive floods that battered the Himalayan mountainous regions of Nepal and China on August 26 have left at least 1,114 people dead and 3,916 missing in Nepal alone so far.
In particular, it was found that many of the 583 missing foreign nationals were pilgrims visiting Hindu holy sites in the affected areas or tourists who came for Himalayan trekking.
Tourism and related industries centered around the Himalayan mountainous regions are considered a core national industry, accounting for approximately 10 percent of Nepal's economy.
The initial estimate by Nepal's Ministry of Finance puts the recovery costs for this massive flood at approximately 4 billion to 5 billion dollars, reaching up to 6.8 trillion won in Korean currency.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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