Syndicate alleged on Century trekking trail

Trekking guides and porters have to pay for meals whether they have taken them or not. Tourists have to settle their hotel bills not at the hotel counter but with the people designated by the Century Tourism Entrepreneurs Committee. Guides and porters do not get rooms and they have to sleep in the dining area. And if there is only one tourist, chances of getting a room are rare.This is how trekking guides and porters are being treated by local tourism entrepreneurs on the Century Tourism Trekking Trail which starts from Chhomrong.

Balaram Dahal, who has been working as a trekking guide for 17 years, said local entrepreneurs had been running a syndicate on this trekking trail. “Even when we’ve not taken any meals, they have asked us for money,” said Dahal. “Also, the payment has to be made to the committee formed by local tourism entrepreneurs.”

Dhakaram Adhikari had a hard time finding a room when he went with only one tourist recently. “I had to struggle to find a room when I had taken an American tourist,” said Adhikari. “The hotels do not provide rooms unless we have a group of tourists.”

According to Adhikari, the hotels used to provide free meals and lodging to trekking guides till a few years ago. Now, they charge arbitrarily. “There is a strict syndicate system imposed by local entrepreneurs from Nayapul to Annapurna Base Camp,” said former guide turned hotelier Bishworaj Adhikari. Besides the syndicate, illegal opening of hotels has also increased in the region.

Trekking guides and porters are paid Rs 1,000 and Rs 800 daily respectively. With hotels raising the room and food rates randomly, they said it was getting very hard for them. Five months ago, the Trekking Agents Association of Nepal (Taan) had signed a six-point agreement with the Century Tourism Entrepreneurs Committee. It was agreed then that there would be separate rooms for guides and porters and no arbitrary increment in food prices and that payment would be made at the hotel counter. “The pact has not been implemented till now,” said Narayan Sapkota, chairman of Taan Western Chapter.

However, officials of the Century Tourism Entrepreneurs Committee denied that they had imposed a syndicate system. “Earlier, there were some disputes. They will be resolved gradually,” said Som Gurung, secretary of the committee.

source: the kathmandu post,1 april 2014