Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The entry fee for foreign tourists visiting the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality in Solukhumbu has been increased by Rs 1,000 per person.
The decision means tourists visiting Sagarmatha National Park, Everest Base Camp and other attractions in the rural municipality will now have to pay a higher entry fee in the new fiscal year 2024/25 which began on July 16.
The local government informed the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN), the industry lobby of trekking trip operators, about the entry fee hike through a letter on Sunday.
As per the new entry fee structure, tourists from SAARC countries and China will have to pay Rs 2,000 each, while tourists from other countries are required to pay a fee of Rs 3,000 each.
The rural municipality has stated that diplomats, VIPs, and children under 10 years of age will be granted free entry based on the basis of documents submitted.
Previously, the fee was Rs 2,000 for four weeks and Rs 2,500 for stays longer than four weeks.
In addition to this fee, trekkers visiting the area must also pay an entry fee of Rs 3,000 to the Sagarmatha National Park.
Krishna Dahal, senior vice president of TAAN, confirmed that the rural municipality has notified them about the hike in tourist entry fees. “The rural municipality has sent a letter to TAAN informing us about the fee increase,” he said. “We have subsequently informed our member companies about the entry fee hike.”
Tashi Lhamu Sherpa, vice chairperson of the rural municipality, said that the entry fee was increased to raise resources for enhancing and preserving tourism infrastructure in the Everest region. “We don’t receive much budget from the federal government for infrastructure development and conservation in our area,” she said. “We have decided to increase the tourist entry fee to arrange resources on our own.”
A total of 57,690 tourists visited Sagarmatha National Park in fiscal year 2023/24.
