TAAN for reinstatement of trekking permits

Trekking Agents Association of Nepal (TAAN) has expressed strong reservations about the government’s recent decision to lift the permit system for the popular trekking areas of Annapurna, Everest and Langtang, and that such a major step was taken without consulting the people involved in the trekking sector. The association says that although the move may benefit low-budget tourists, it will affect government revenue as well as the trekking business in general. It has, therefore, called on the government to reinstate the permit system.

According to TAAN, revenue amounting to over Rs. 82 million and Rs. 1.65 million was collected from agency-handled and individual trekkers respectively from trekking permits issued for the three regions in 1998 alone. In light of this, the doing away of the permits is a very unwise decision.

Moreover, with trekkers now able to go to the Annapurna, Everest and Langtang regions without permission, they will obviously choose to trek on their own rather than go through an agency. This will result in the more than 400 registered trekking companies losing business which could lead to unhealthy competition and retrenchment through job cutting.

The association says that instead of withdrawing the trekking permits, the government would have been wiser to reduce the fees for trekking in the remote destinations of Upper Dolpo, Mustang and Manaslu to some extent. This move would have encouraged more trekkers to these areas.

TAAN maintains that it will now also be difficult to obtain correct data on trekkers to the three regions as they do not need permits and therefore are not registered at the concerned department of the Ministry of Tourism & Civil Aviation. In this regard, however, the government has made it compulsory for trekkers to the areas in question to register at the respective national park offices for the sake of record.

Another subject that TAAN has brought up is that nothing has been done to do away with the practice of government-appointed liaison officers (also called environment officers) accompanying trekking expeditions. It says that such people are unnecessary as agency staff who go with the groups are themselves well trained to respect and practice sound environmental trekking policies.

New executive body takes over TAAN

Rajendra Bantawa of Great Himalayan Adventures has been elected the new president of the Trekking Agents Association of Nepal (TAAN). The 21st annual general meeting of TAAN, held on September 17, also elected Ang Jangbu Sherpa (Himalayan Excursion) as its 1st vice-president while Jangbu Lama Sherpa (Jannu Himalayan Trekking) was elected 2nd vice-president, unopposed.

Likewise, Dipak Dhamala (Langtang Ri Trekking) was elected general secretary; Rana Bahadur Khadka (Hard Rock Trekking), secretary; and Songe Dorji Sherpa (Adventure Himalayan Treks), treasurer.

All the eight other members of the executive committee were elected unopposed. They are Iswori Adhikari, Mrs. Uma Khakurel, Ganesh Bahadur Neupane, Devendra Wagle, Wanghchu Sherpa, Tara Prasad Pun, Nima Dendi Sherpa and Nima Temba Sherpa. The remaining three executive members comprise of a member of TAAN’s Pokhara Chapter, the immediate past president of TAAN and a member appointed by the new president on the recommendation of the newly elected executive committee.

(Source: Nepal Travel Trade Journal, Vol. 6 No.2, October-November 1999)