Kathmandu, May 6 -- paying climbers have been issued permits to scale Mount Everest this spring, making it the third-highest number on record. However, government earnings have reached an all-time high, with revenue touching Rs1.01 billion as of Wednesday.

Officials at the Department of Tourism say there is no fixed deadline for issuing permits, but most climbers secure them by the first week of May, barring a few late applications from professional expeditions.

"If there hadn't been the Iran war, the number of Everest aspirants could have reached a record," said Ram Krishna Lamichhane, director general of the department. "But in terms of revenue, it's a historic high."

The surge in earnings follows Nepal's decision to raise the royalt...