Nepal announces May 29 as "Everest Day"

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Nepal has decided that May 29 -- the date Sir Edmund Hillarly and Tenzing Norgay conquered the world's highest peak in 1953 -- will be marked as International Mount Everest Day, tourism officials said today.

"The government has decided to commemorate the historic first ascent," said tourism ministry spokesman Prem Rai. "This year will be the first time we celebrate the event and pay tributes to Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay."

Sir Edmund died in January at the age of 88, prompting worldwide praise for the man seen by many members of Nepal's Sherpa community as a second father for the development work his foundation undertook in the Everest region.

New Zealanders have extensively debated ideas such as naming a mountain peak after him, or re-naming a peak.

Nepal will commemorate the day with "a mountain film festival, photography exhibitions and cultural programmes," the spokesman told Agence France-Presse.

"The day will also be an opportunity to promote Nepal's adventure tourism in the international arena," he added.

In February, Nepalese authorities said they had renamed the small airport used by mountaineers and trekkers to access the Everest region the Hillary-Tenzing airport.

Since Hillary and Tenzing reached the roof of the world 55 years ago, the 8848-metre peak has been climbed at least 3000 times - often by adventure tourists paying up to $US40,000 to be taken up by professional guides.