On August 30, 2023, Chinese paraglider Mr. Li Shengtao received a prestigious accolade for his daring feat of paragliding from the peak of the world’s tallest mountain, Mount Everest, at an astonishing altitude of 8,000 meters. The honor was conferred by Babu Adventure Paragliding, Seven Summit Treks Pvt. Ltd., and Nepal Big Mountain Travels, in collaboration with The MICE Connection.

Li Shengtao’s remarkable achievement took place on May 18, 2023, when he successfully descended from Mount Everest’s staggering height to reach the Base Camp. During the commendation ceremony, Mr. Buddhi Sagar Lamichhane, the Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, highlighted the significance of Shengtao’s feat, emphasizing its potential to boost Nepal’s thriving tourism industry.

Lamichhane also noted Nepal’s proactive efforts in promoting formal paragliding education, with various schools offering training in this exhilarating pursuit. Reflecting on his journey, Li Shengtao fondly recalled his initial paragliding experience in Pokhara in 2015, which ignited his ambition to eventually paraglide from Everest.

“After my first paragliding experience in Pokhara in 2015, I was determined to pursue paragliding seriously. I underwent extensive training in 2016 and gradually advanced to paraglide from mountains ranging from 5,000 to 7,000 meters in China. This journey fueled my aspiration to paraglide from Everest, and I finally realized that dream,” shared Li Shengtao.

Tourism entrepreneur Karna Shakya expressed his belief that introducing innovative ideas and products in the tourism sector could make a significant contribution to Nepal’s tourism development. He emphasized Nepal’s immense potential in the tourism industry and underscored that the global tourism landscape would be incomplete without Nepal’s contributions.

Similarly, Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Sudan Kirati personally honored Li Shengtao at the ministry premises on the same day.