Expressing concerns over their security, entrepreneurs have appealed to local administration to make serious efforts towards ensuring tourists´ safe journey. According to tourism entrepreneurs, about half a dozen of robbery cases have been reported on different trekking routes around Pokhara, including the Annapurna Conservation Area Project.
Recently, tourism entrepreneurs had organized a meeting with security officials that concluded to request all tourists to trek in company to avoid any untoward incidents. “Mostly, those tourists have been robbed who trekked alone,” said Basant Raj Dawadi, Pokhara chapter president of Trekking Agents´ Association of Nepal (TAAN). “Most of them had gone on trekking without even informing the Tourism Information Center (TIC).”
In some bizarre cases, tourists have been robbed of their belongings by those who accompany them in disguise of guides. Some thugs don as guides and rob tourists whenever they reach isolated areas. “Tourists should be aware of even their guides while trekking lonely,” Dawadi said.
Even those guides who work on short trekking routes have reportedly robbed their tourists. “Tourists may fall prey to any one while walking with no friend,” he said. “In cases tourists have no company; then they should keep informing security posts located in Annapurna Conservation Area.
According to Laxmi Raj Sharma, under secretary at regional administration office, the meeting decided that ACAP should regularly provide details of tourists´ arrival and departures to local administration so that necessary security measures could be taken for their safe trekking.
Related story
The ultimate trek
