Planning to trek in Nepal? Kathmandu bans solo trekking for foreigners from THIS date

In Nepal, the days of tourists walking alone are over. Starting on April 1, it will be required for lone travellers to travel with a certified guide while exploring Nepal's highlands, as per the new rule of Nepal Tourism Board.

The new guidelines apply to all types of foreign visitors trekking through Nepal's national parks, including the well-known Annapurna Circuit, a 150-mile path that encircles the Annapurna mountain range. As a result of their knowledge of the area's topography and culture, locals are exempt from the restriction.

'Make trekking in Nepal safer', says Nepal Tourism Board

"The two main objectives behind the ban are to make trekking in Nepal safer and to create more employment opportunities in the country," Mani R Lamichhane, Director of the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), told CNN.

"When you are travelling solo, in case of emergencies, there is no one to help you," Lamichhane said. "It is fine if they are travelling in the cities, but in the remote mountains, the infrastructure is not adequate," he added.

Rescue operations burdens Kathmandu's pocket

There are few paved hiking trails in Nepal. Infrastructure and population are both scarce and cellular connectivity is unstable. In addition, abrupt weather changes frequently occur in Nepal's mountainous regions. On the slopes of Nepal, there are documented fatal accidents every year, including ones brought on by avalanches, blizzards, and high-altitude sickness.

The cost of conducting search and rescue operations when lone hikers go missing can be immensely detrimental to the economy of the nation, which depends heavily on tourism.

According to Nilhari Bastola, head of the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal, 10 to 15 hikers go missing in Nepal each year, with "free independent trekkers"—tourists who hike without guides or groups—making up the majority of these cases. 

In addition to the risks of hiking alone, unlicensed tour operators and guides are a problem. Unlicensed guides don't pay taxes since they operate without being registered with or authorised by the government, according to the director of the tourism board. He argues that by doing this, they rob lawful indigenous Nepalis of their jobs.

Before this, travellers who had route permission and a Trekkers Information Management System (TIMS) card could walk independently. Foreigners need a TIMS card as a fundamental trekking permit to engage in adventure tourism. 

Yet as a result of recent legal changes, travellers must hire a guide before obtaining a TIMS permit. Also, the board raised the cost of the TIMS permit to 2,000 per person. Before this, those who travelled in sizable groups paid 1,000 and those who travelled alone 2,000 for the TIMS card.