Nepal has decided to bar solo or independent trekkers from trekking in Nepal without the help of a guide starting from April 1, a senior official of Nepal Tourism Board said.
The tourism organisation made it mandatory for a sole foreign trekker to take a guide. “The decision was taken considering the safety of such trekkers,” said Mani Raj Lamichhane, the board’s spokesperson.
“We have received 40 to 50 cases of trekkers being out of contact during the treks annually, which conveyed the message to the world that Nepal is not a safe destination,” he said.
“So we decided to promote an organised trekking in Nepal with this decision.” “Another reason behind this decision is to create more employment opportunities in the country,” he added.
Of the total 614,148 foreign visitors from January to December last year, 209,105 were from India, followed by the US with 77,009 and the UK 44,781, according to data published by the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB). Australia is in fourth place with 26,874 inbound visitors, while Bangladesh with 25,384 tourists ranked fifth in the list.
Free and independent trekkers are those who plan their own trips and prefer to travel alone without assistance from trekking agencies. They are considered as price-conscious travellers.
According to Lamichhane, more than 46,000 solo foreign trekkers got permission from the tourism board in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
The figure was 19,415 in 2022, showed the tourism board data. The Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal has been lobbying for a one-trekker one-guide system since 2012.
