By Our Correspondent
Pokhara, Nov 1:  Paragliding in Pokhara has become the choice of the youth. At this time, a crowd of domestic tourists can be seen paragliding in the sky of Pokhara. About 80 per cent of them are young people.
Krishna Bhandari, chairman of the Nepal Air Sports Association, said that attraction of youth in paragliding was on rise after the resumption of commercial flights since September 30 after the government lifted the ban.
He said that 70 per cent of domestic tourists paragliding in Pokhara were from Kaski and 30 per cent were from other districts while participation of foreign tourists was almost nil.
According to Bhandari, paragliding has made tourism activities, which were stagnant due to COVID-19, vibrant due to their focus on domestic tourists through cheap packages.
He informed that the number of flights used to be 7,500 in the past but now they are 3,500.
"Paragliding has been the choice of the youth and it has played a significant role in the tourism capital of Pokhara, and therefore concerned stakeholders should pay attention to its better management," Bhandari said.
Director and pilot of Himalaya Sky Adventure Paragliding Company, Madhav Tiwari, said that most of people paragliding in Pokhara were employees, businessmen, college students and youths.
There is an investment of Rs. 1 billion in paragliding business of Pokhara. From Pokhara's Sarangkot, Toripani and Mandre Dhunga, 60 companies fly paragliding daily and land on the bank of Phewa Lake.
There are currently 370 Nepali paragliding pilots in Pokhara. There are 10 foreign pilots and 12 women pilots.