CNN
—
Five years after banning private adventurers from climbing Mount Everest, the Nepalese government has extended the restriction to the entire country.
Nepal is home to eight of the highest mountains in the world, but it is also known for its beautiful rural trekking areas. Now, hikers hoping to hike in remote areas must hire a state-licensed guide or join a group.
While the trekking industry is one of the country’s biggest money makers, the cost of search and rescue missions for lost solo travelers is significant.
“When you travel alone, there is no one to help you in an emergency,” said Nepal Tourism Board director Mani R. Lamichhane to CNN. “It’s fine if they go to the cities, but the infrastructure in the remote mountains is not up to par.”
“When tourists go missing or are found dead, even the government can’t track them because they’ve taken over the remote roads,” Lamikchane said.
In addition to the problems when hikers get lost in the countryside, Lamichan says unlicensed guides and businesses are also a problem. These companies, which are not registered with the government, do not pay taxes and, according to the tourism director, deprive Nepalis of their jobs.
“There have been instances where the trekking community has asked us to stop unauthorized trekking operations. “This has been a demand of tourist communities for a long time,” he says.
Members of the mountaineering and trekking community are divided on the new decision.
Ian Taylor, owner of a reputable guide company with a long history in Nepal, said the move makes sense as more and more people attempt difficult climbs in Nepal.
“Over the years, things have changed dramatically in the region,” he told CNN.
“Before, you only saw experienced hikers and climbers in the area, many of whom traveled without a guide and were completely self-sufficient.”
“However, now there are more people traveling in this area, most of them are not hikers, but tourists. They cannot support themselves in the open air, so they need the help of experienced guides. .
Taylor adds that the Nepalese government does not have the capacity to screen each visa applicant separately, so it decided to impose a blanket ban.
“As someone who loves mountains and goes to mountainous regions around the world, it’s really sad to come to this,” Taylor continued.
“We never want to see people restricted from accessing the mountain. However, the situation in Nepal is very unique and needs to be changed.
Meet couples who fell in love while traveling
All news on the site does not represent the views of the site, but we automatically submit this news and translate it through software technology on the site rather than a human editor.
