KATHMANDU: As the search continues for hundreds of foreign nationals and tourists caught in the devastating Bhote Koshi-Trishuli floods, Nepal’s tourism industry is also searching for the people who were there to guide, assist and support those visitors.

The Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN) has so far identified 36 support staff from five travel and trekking companies as missing in connection with the disaster. The figure is provisional and may change as companies continue verifying the whereabouts of their employees.

The latest situation update issued by the Nepal Tourism Board on Monday said 315 foreign nationals/tourists had been rescued, five had re-established contact and 583 remained out of communication as of 6 pm. The figures were compiled from the Tourist Police and National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.

The missing tourism workers identified by TAAN are from Classic Vacations Pvt Ltd, Fly Everest Holidays Pvt Ltd, Explore Vacation Pvt Ltd, Mundhum Travels and Leaf Holidays Treks.

Classic Vacations has reported seven missing staff, Fly Everest Holidays seven, Explore Vacation seven, Mundhum Travels six and Leaf Holidays Treks nine.

The names identified so far are:

Classic Vacations: Chet Prasad Bhatta, Madhusudhan Pathak, Sonam Tesi Sherpa, Tenjing Sherpa, Sange Sherpa, Suman Dahal and Purba Sherpa.

Fly Everest Holidays: Gokul Budhathoki Magar, Kumar Budhathoki Magar, Prem Kumar Budhathoki Magar, Indra Bahadur Khatri, Ram Bahadur Magar, Dhan Bahadur Gurung and Bal Kumar Merangchi Magar.

Explore Vacation: Shiva Kumar Shrestha, Bikram Gurung, Jiban Gurung, Ash Bahadur Gurung, Gyan Bahadur Rana Magar, Bishal Gurung and Sujan Ale Magar.

Mundhum Travels: Suresh Magar, Anish Magar, Shubha Dhan Rai, Ambir Nachhiring, Prem Kumar Rai and Karna Bahadur Rai.

Leaf Holidays Treks: Gokarna Thapa, Narayan Baniya, Hari Chandra Nepal, Rabin Tamang, Sangam Rimal, Tularam Thapa, Ganesh Nepali, Sushant Kulung and Geli Sherpa.

The list is not a final missing-person or casualty count. TAAN and its member agencies are continuing to verify information, and the number and names could change as contact is established.

The workforce behind the journeys

For tourists, these workers are often the familiar faces behind a journey—guiding them through unfamiliar terrain, managing logistics, arranging transport and accommodation, and helping them navigate difficult conditions.

For Nepal's trekking and adventure tourism industry, their disappearance represents more than a loss to individual families and companies. It highlights the vulnerability of the workforce that operates alongside visitors on the ground.

The latest NTB update also said tourists should remain updated on road and weather conditions during the monsoon, which continues to affect travel conditions until mid-September. The Kathmandu-Mugling road has also been completely obstructed at Krishnabhir in Dhading after river erosion caused part of the road to collapse.

The August 26 flash floods devastated parts of Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading and Gorkha along the Bhote Koshi-Trishuli river corridor. Search, rescue, evacuation and assistance operations remain underway.

NTB said that, except for the affected Bhote Koshi-Trishuli river corridor, other tourist destinations and activities are operating normally.

For the tourism sector, however, the continuing search is not only for the visitors caught in the disaster. It is also for the Nepali people who were there to make those journeys possible.