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Are you a Solo trekker and planning to trek in Nepal? If yes, we have a piece of very crucial information for you which is regarding the ban Nepal puts on solo trekkers without a guide starting from 1st April 2023.
According to director Maniraj Lamichhane, the Nepal Tourism Board made a decision in this regard that will take effect on April 1, 2023. To guarantee the safety and well-being of international visitors, Nepal has decided to outlaw solo trekking beginning on April 1 and make it essential to hire a guide while trekking, according to a government official.
Mani Raj Lamichhane, the board's spokeswoman, referred to this and stated that the tourism organization has now made it necessary for a single foreign trekker to travel with a guide. He continued by saying that the safety of such trekkers was taken into consideration when making this decision.
Why Nepal Government made this decision?
According to Lamichhane, the board had previously encountered about 50 instances of trekkers losing communication during their journeys annually, delivering the message to the outside world that Nepal was not a secure location.
He also stated that this decision was made in order to promote organized trekking in Nepal and that this decision was also made in order to increase employment prospects in the nation. Price-conscious travellers, who love to travel alone and prefer to plan their own trip without taking any advice or assistance from any other tourism agency usually go for solo trekking.
More than 46,000 foreign trekkers travelling alone received clearance in 2019. The most recent ruling also outlaws TIMS (Trekkers Information Management System) permits issued without a guide. Foreign visitors taking part in adventure tourism must get a TIMS trekking permit. This may only be acquired through a trekking agency.
Prior to this decision, group travellers paid INR 1,000 per person for the TIMS permit, whereas solo travellers paid INR 2,000. The cost per individual has now raised to INR 2,000. Also, the permit fee for SAARC nationals has been raised to INR 1,000.
According to documents, the Nepalese Association of Trekking Agencies has been advocating for a one-trekker, one-guide arrangement since 2012.
All in all, it was a decision made for the security of the foreign nationals coming to trek in Nepal, to maintain the reputation that Nepal is a safe place for tourism and trekking, and to increase employment in the country.
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