Nepal bans independent hiking tours.

From April 1st, foreign tourists will not be allowed to go on independent hiking trips in remote areas of Nepal. Photo: EscapeHimalaya

Accordingly, from April 1st, foreign tourists wishing to hike and explore remote areas must hire a government-licensed guide or go in a group.

The new rules apply to international tourists of all experience levels on hiking trips within Nepal's national parks, such as the Annapurna Circuit National Park, a 150-mile route around the Annapurna mountain range. Visitors can still undertake solo hikes outside of national parks, such as around Kathmandu city.

Nepal is home to eight of the world's highest mountains, but the country is also renowned for its stunning jungle hiking trails.

Although the mountaineering industry is one of the country's largest revenue-generating sectors, the cost of search and rescue operations for lone hikers who get lost is enormous.

Mani R. Lamichhane, Director of the Nepal Tourism Board, said: “When you travel alone, in case of an emergency there will be no one to help you… Traveling in the city is fine, but in remote mountainous areas, the infrastructure is inadequate.”

Mr. Lamicchane added that when tourists go missing or are found dead, even the government cannot know their travel history because they have followed remote routes.

Therefore, "This decision was made in the best interests of tourists," said Mr. Lamicchane.

Trekking in remote rural areas of Nepal also requires going through licensed tour companies. Photo: CNN

Besides ensuring the safety of adventurous tourists, unlicensed tour companies and guides are also a problem. These companies, not registered with the government, do not pay taxes and take jobs away from Nepalese people. The Nepal Mountaineering Association has requested the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) to take measures to stop illegal mountaineering and hiking activities.

According to NTB, in 2019, approximately 50,000 tourists went on independent hikes in Nepal, without guides or porters. These tourists undertook their expeditions by applying for route permits and Tourist Information Management System (TIMS) cards.

The TIMS permit is a basic climbing license that foreign adventure tourists are required to have. However, according to the latest decision, effective April 1st, TIMS will no longer issue permits to independent travelers. Tourists will now have to go through a climbing company to obtain this permit.

In 2019, before the pandemic, more than 400,000 tourists visited Nepal's national parks for mountain climbing and trekking, according to government figures. Mr. Lamichhane stated that approximately 46,000 of them were solo climbers. The climbers were primarily from the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Germany, India, and Japan.

Last year, as tourism recovered, around 22,000 tourists visited Nepal on independent hiking trips. This number is still lower than in pre-pandemic years. The head of the NTB expressed hope that the new regulations would help create jobs for guides and other workers in the tourism industry.