Tourism entrepreneurs resume mountaineering activities

The official say the climbing activities started after the government last week decided in favor of resuming the mountaineering activities by issuing climbing permits by maintaining safety protocol for the climbers and entrepreneurs.

Director of Department of Tourism, Mira Acharya said, “Mountains are open for this year’s autumn season.” Acharya also shared that discussion are on for quarantine modality for the foreign visitors who arrive in Nepal for the mountaineering activities.

Earlier, all tourism activities were suspended to curb the spreading spree of Coronavirus for the spring season. Hotels, trekking and mountaineering services are coming into operation from today while the regular international air services will resume from August 17.

Entrepreneurs say that the resumption of tourism activities in the autumn season has shown hopes for revival of tourism industry as many of the tourists who have not yet cancelled their bookings may visit Nepal in this season.

US$ 125 is the royalty fee for each of the foreign climber to climb mountains up to 6,500 meters during the autumn season whereas the cost is $900 per person for mountains higher than 8,000 meters.

Similarly Rs 2,000 per person is the royalty fee for Nepalis to climb mountains up to 6,500 meters and Rs 5,000 for peaks above 8,000 meters, except Everest, in the autumn season.

US $5,500 is charged per person for the normal route of Everest and $5,000 for other routes of Everest for foreigners.

Nepal has opened as many as 414 peaks for mountaineering of which 75 are not yet climbed and unexplored.