Nepal's mountain guides and porters face widespread unemployment because of an expected sharp drop in trekker arrivals and mountain climbing expeditions linked to the royal takeover and ongoing Maoist rebellion.

Tourists arriving by plane in the landlocked Hindu kingdom fell by 43 percent to 14,001 in February, compared to the same period last year, creating anxiety for about 75,000 porters and high-altitude mountain guides dependent on the visitors, trekking organizer Prakash Adhikari says.

Mountain guides, porters face unemployment as tourists shun Nepal, continued