Nepal bans independent hiking tourism

From April 1, foreign tourists are not allowed to go hiking independently in remote areas of Nepal. Photo: EscapeHimalaya

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

The new rules apply to international travelers of all experience levels on hikes in Nepal’s national parks, such as the Annapurna Circuit, a 150-mile loop around the Annapurna mountain range. Solo hikes outside national parks, such as around Kathmandu, are still allowed.

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

Although the mountaineering industry is one of the country's biggest revenue generators, the cost of search and rescue missions for lost solo hikers is huge.

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

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

Therefore, “This decision was made in the interest of tourists,” said Mr. Lamicchane.

Trekking in remote rural areas of Nepal must also be done through licensed tour companies. Photo: CNN

Besides ensuring the safety of adventure-seeking tourists, unlicensed tour companies and guides are also a problem. These unregistered companies do not pay taxes and take away jobs from Nepalese. The Nepal Mountaineering Association has asked the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) to take action to stop illegal mountaineering and trekking activities.

According to NTB, in 2019, about 50,000 tourists went trekking independently, without guides or porters, in Nepal. These tourists made the expeditions by applying for route permits and Tourist Information Management System (TIMS) cards.

TIMS card is the basic climbing permit that foreign tourists who go on adventure trips must have. But this latest decision, from April 1, TIMS will not be issued to independent tourists. Tourists will have to go through a climbing company to get this card.

In 2019, before the pandemic, more than 400,000 tourists visited Nepal’s national parks for climbing and trekking, according to government figures. About 46,000 of them went solo, Lamichhane said. The climbers were mainly from the United States, Britain, China, Germany, India and Japan.

Last year, when tourism recovered, about 22,000 tourists visited Nepal for independent trekking trips, a number still down from pre-pandemic years. The head of the NTB said he hoped the new rules would help create jobs for guides and other workers in the tourism industry.