Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: As allegations of fake rescue of foreign tourists taint the tourism image of the country, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation said it has applied a zero-tolerance policy through strict investigation, blacklisting, and public disclosure of individuals and agencies found involved in such fraudulent practices
In a statement on Monday, the ministry said it would develop a technology-enabled Rescue Management System integrating trekker registration, rescue requests, and insurance validation. Likewise, it plans to strengthen licensing requirements for guides and agencies with mandatory ethical compliance, while standardizing medical protocols for altitude sickness diagnosis. It also plans to enhance local-level governance in trekking regions and promote ethical tourism certification standards.
“The government is open to engaging directly with international insurance providers to establish verification channels and restore confidence,” the ministry said, adding that it has formed a joint monitoring task force comprising representatives from the ministry, Nepal Police, Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), and Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) to strengthen oversight and conduct regular audits, and for authentic and timely communication.
The ministry also said it was aware of concerns regarding instances of exaggerated altitude sickness symptoms, unnecessary helicopter evacuations, and inflated insurance claims involving possible coordination among a limited number of operators. “The government clarifies that certain allegations reported in the media, such as claims of deliberate harm to trekkers, including the feeding of contaminated food, have not been substantiated by investigations conducted by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB),” it said. “The ministry urges media outlets and stakeholders to verify such claims with official sources to avoid the spread of misinformation that may unjustly harm Nepal’s tourism image.”
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