Climate Change Nexus with Timing and Season ability of Tourism- A Way Forward for Long

Mountain-route tourism is regarded as the best way to attract tourists who wish to engage in various activities close to nature. It has been providing business opportunities to the lowincome people living in the mountain region and contributing to eradicating poverty. However, climate change happening in recent times has adversely impacted their businesses as there has been a shift in the seasonality, rise of temperature, and changes in other natural phenomena. By conducting interviews among the key stakeholders of the Annapurna region in Nepal, this research aims to develop an understanding of how climate change-induced vulnerabilities are impacting the overall trekking business in the region. First, with the help of empirical data obtained from the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM), we were able to establish the fact that the rise in temperature in recent times has caused a change in seasonality in the region. Next, we conducted semi-structured interviews with various key stakeholders engaged in the mountain-route tourism business to understand how they perceive the impact of climate change on their businesses. The findings of the research highlight the fact that micro, small, and medium-sized businesses providing services to tourists who visit the Annapurna region for mountain-route tourism activities face both structural and nonstructural challenges caused by the volatility of climate change. The paper concludes with the recommendation of introducing sustainable and green business practices in the mountain-route tourism business to develop adaptive measures to the vulnerability of climate change.