Himal Press 
Trekkers on the Manaslu Circuit Trail (File Photo)
KATHMANDU: Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) has decided to stop issuing Trekkers Information Management System (TIMS) card for free individual trekkers, requiring trekkers to hire a guide for trekking trips.
This new measure was taken in response to the increasing cases of solo trekkers going missing in different trekking areas of the country, according to Nepal Tourism Board (NTB). The decision was made during a meeting of the board of directors of the NTB held in Kathmandu on Thursday. As per the decision, NTB will stop issuing Trekkers Information Management System (TIMS) cards for free individual trekkers from April 1.
In 2019, NTB issued about 50,000 TIMS cards to free independent trekkers (FITs).
TIMS card is a type of permit that a trekker must possess to enter different trekking areas of the country. Nepal is currently issuing separate cards for FITs and trekkers handled by trekking companies. While all other formalities to obtain cards for trekkers travelling through trekking companies are taken care by the company itself, FITs have to apply for TIMS cards at NTB offices in Kathmandu and Pokhara by submitting their personal details and their travel itinerary.
FITs have to pay Rs 2,000 each for TIMS cards, while trekkers travelling through companies have to pay Rs 1,000 per person.
Additionally, NTB has decided to hike TIMS fee by 100%. Trekkers will now have to pay Rs 2,000 as TIMS fee. Such fee for visitors from SAARC region has also been raised to Rs 1,000 from Rs 400.
Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN), an industry lobby of trekking companies operating in Nepal, had long been advocating for mandatory guides for trekking trips. TAAN believes that the use of guides will not only improve the safety of trekkers, but it will also help to curb the illegal operations of trekking businesses by different non-governmental organizations (NGOs), trek leaders and other groups.
