TAAN eyes GHT management

Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN) has requested the Department for International Development (DfID) to allow it to look after the overall management of the Great Himalaya Trail (GHT).

GHT is one of the longest and highest trekking trails in the world. The 1‚700-kilometre route connects popular treks in the Annapurna and Everest regions with exciting new trekking destinations in the west and east of Nepal. Currently‚ TAAN is looking after the development of the trekking route in the GHT.

“TAAN can be a major stakeholder of GHT and DFID is quite positive about our work concept‚” said chief executive officer of TAAN Ganga Sagar Pant. According to him‚ the GHT trail is a brand that needs infrastructure development.

“At present‚ the GHT project is more focused on marketing and branding‚ but GHT itself being a brand and a unique package in the world is in need of more infrastructure development‚” he said‚ adding that TAAN is capable of developing the destinations into a perfect tourism product.

Pant also said that TAAN being a team of professional trekkers is more aware about the requirements of the trail. “We must be able to provide proper drinking water‚ food‚ security‚ bridges and other essential facilities too which currently are not available in the GHT route‚” he said‚ adding that rather than focus on marketing alone‚ organisations must focus on developing proper infrastructure.

According to Pant‚ TAAN is also lobbying for a one-window system for trekkers‚ as they are bound to return from the trail to get another permit for different destinations. “There are conservation areas and restricted areas also within the trail‚ therefore with a one-window system it will simplify the process to obtain permits from different units to trek to a new destination‚” he said.

In the beginning of August 2012‚ DFID commended SNV Nepal’s Great Himalaya Trail Development Programme as the best tourism project in the country. The project is working with Nepal Tourism Board and TAAN to create a new trekking route‚ spanning the length of the country.

source: The Himalayan Times,31 jan 2013