Paragliding has become one of the most popular adventure sports among visitors to Nepal. Increasing numbers of thrill seekers are choosing paragliding among the adventure tourism activities offered in the country like trekking, mountaineering, bungee jumping, skydiving and rafting.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), 11 paragliding companies are operating in the country and five to seven others are in the process of obtaining air operators certificates (AOC). CAAN charges US$ 1,250 for an AOC and US$ 56.50 as flight permission fee per flier. The permit is valid for 15 days.
Paragliding services are offered by Sunrise, Blue Sky, Frontiers, Avia Club, Kathmandu Paragliding, Sarangkot, Annapurna, Para Nova, Fly Nepal, Fish Tail Nepal and Team Five Paragliding. All the companies are based in Pokhara except for Kathmandu Paragliding which is based in the capital.
Aerial sports began in Nepal in 1996 with Sunrise Balloon and Avia Club offering hot air ballooning and ultra light flying respectively. Paragliding started to take off in 2007.
Each paragliding company handles 2,000-3,000 fliers annually, said Barun Gyawali, manager of Avia Club Nepal. Paragliding has become popular among Nepali fun lovers too. “An increase in business has encouraged paragliding companies to spread out to other tourist destinations,” Gyawali added.
According to him, two companies have been permitted to operate in Bandipur while Chitwan and Palpa are being studied as potential paragliding sites.
“Although paragliding is a new product in Nepal, its market is growing rapidly,” said Arjun Prasad Sharma, president of the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA).
According to travel trade entrepreneurs, Nepal has tremendous potential in adventure tourism with paragliding being identified as one of the fastest growing segments. Nepali paragliders are charged Rs 5,000 for a 30-minute flight while the price for foreigners is 70 euros.
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