News and Events

A delegation of Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN) on Oct 18 met with Hari Basyal, Chief of Tourism Industry Division under the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoTCA), and apprised him of the problems facing the trekking sector. During the meeting, TAAN expressed objection over unilateral hike in menu prices in Khumbu region by Khumbu Hotel Management Committee and Dingboche Hotel Association. “Trekking staff are facing difficulty due to heavy rise in menu prices. If they have to pay such a high price for meal and accommodation, they won’t be able to save anything,” TAAN President Mahindra Singh Thapa said. The delegation also protested manhandling of some trekking staff by the officials of Khumbu Hotel Management Committee and requested the government to immediately do the needful in addressing the problem. “Trekking staffers are the ones that take tourists to trekking areas. Who will take tourists there if trekking staff are manhandled?” Thapa wondered. The delegation also drew the attention of the ministry toward lack of necessary tourism infrastructure at Lukla, which is often referred to as the gateway to the Everest Region. “Though thousands of tourists enter the Everest region via Lukla every year, the place lacks even basic infrastructure like tourism information center and restrooms,” Thapa added. Stating that existing TIMS distribution mechanism was encouraging illegal operation in trekking business, the delegation asked the government to review the mechanism and give complete authority in TIMS distribution to TAAN. “I would like to assure all that illegal trekking operation can be discouraged if TAAN is given complete authority in TIMS distribution,” Thapa added. The delegation comprised of President Thapa, 1st Vice President Rana Bahadur Khadka, General Secretary Mohan Lamsal, Treasurer Anjan Thapa; executive members Pelu Sherpa, Krishna Hari Khatri and Nima Lama and Machhindra Acharya of TAAN Media Center. TAAN delegation had met with officials of Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation on Oct 17 and apprised them of the problems that trekking staff are facing due to unilateral hike in menu prices by the Khumbu hoteliers.