A recent meeting of TAAN and NTB reduced the fee to US$ 3 per person for tourists traveling in groups through trekking agency and $6 per person for FITs (Free Independents Travelers). [break]
The existing TIMS fee which is a mandatory for trekking to Everest, Langtang and Annapurna region is $10 and $20 per person for group and solo trekkers, respectively. However, no changes have been made in TIMS fee for tourists other than from the South Asian region.
Officiating CEO of NTB Subhash Niraula and TAAN president Mahendra Singh Thapa signed MoU of the new fee structure which will come into effect from October 12.
Although almost 20 percent of the total tourists include trekking in their itineraries, the participation of tourists from South Asian region in trekking is negligible.
Tourism entrepreneurs are hopeful that the special fee for SAARC countries will attract more tourists at a time when Nepal is being considered as an expensive destination compared to other tourist destinations in South East Asia.
General Secretary of TAAN Mohan Lamsal said the new TIMS fee is an important step in attracting tourist from our region.
“The revised tariff will attract more Indian trekkers and religious tourists,” he said. Thousands of Indian tourists are paying $ 20 per person for their visit to religious destinations like Muktinath.
Last year, more than 145,000 tourists visited Nepal via air. Likewise, during the first eight months of 2012 the market share of Indian tourist has increased to 33.5 percent.
More than 126,000 tourists visited Nepal via air till the month of August. The total arrivals from SAARC countries were around 142,500 during this period.
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