TAAN urges for compulsory guide system

The government is planning for a compulsory guide or porter system for individual trekkers in the Langtang region only.

Trekking agencies have requested the government for a compulsory guide or porter for individual trekkers in all the trekking routes. However, the government is planning to make a porter or guide compulsory only in the Langtang region.

“To ensure the safety of individual trekkers we have been lobbying to appoint a guide or porter for each trekker,” said chief executive officer at Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN) Gangaram Panta, adding, however, the government is planning for a compulsory guide or porter for individual trekkers only in the Langtang region.

“We don’t want a ban on individual trekking. We want to ensure the security of trekkers and it is possible only if trekkers are accompanied by a porter or guide,” said Panta, adding that the government is yet to make its final decision and TAAN is waiting for a meeting with government officials.

“We have suggested the Tourism Industry Department regarding the need of a porter for individual trekkers,” he said. “We don’t have any hidden interest and we cannot force the tourism ministry to follow our suggestion,” he further said.

Due to a series of incidents in the Himalayan trekking route, trekking agencies have started lobbying for the need of a licensed porter for individual trekkers. “There have been many cases of disappearances, and a mandatory provision of a tourist guide will ensure the security of trekkers,” TAAN claims.

According to TAAN, more than 90 per cent trekkers who go missing are individual trekkers and there is no information about the whereabouts of those trekkers due to the lack of a monitoring mechanism.

Of the total tourist arrivals, about 35 per cent come for trekking. In 2011–2012, the trekking business earned total foreign currency worth $ 50 million, stated TAAN.

A Trekking Information Management System (TIMS) card is issued to trekkers at $ 10 for an individual TIMS card, and $ 20 for group trekking that is for trekkers other than from the SAARC region. TIMS is a system developed by TAAN, and NTB is the authorised organisation for collecting taxes through it.

However, the involvement of other players in distributing TIMS card and collecting taxes has created unnecessary problems.

TAAN has also developed a software to ensure the security of tourists and check illegal operations. The software will make sure that tourists at different trekking routes are safe.

Under the software, a trekker has to fill up a form with all the personal details and programmes throughout the stay, and the information will be recorded in the TIMS software. If any trekker goes missing, the software will help trace the whereabouts of the missing trekker.

source: The Himalayan Times,26 August 2012