Mountaineers seeming to scale Nepal‘s Himalayan mountains can finally do so for the first time in seven months. The country has reopened to foreign travellers, though some have reprimanded the move as the coronavirus pandemic has left the country short of hospital beds.
Nepal is home to eight of the 14 highest peaks in the world, including the holy grail for climbers – Mount Everest. Foreign guests are a major source of income for Nepal, particularly for the small town of Lukla which is often used as a base for Mount Everest climbers.
For now, the reopening will come with limitations and is mainly limited to those seeking to climb or trek its famous peaks. Rudra Singh Tamang, director-general of Nepal’s Department of Tourism said:
“We are not starting the country for all visitors and only mountaineers and trekkers who have previously had a permit taken prior permission will be allowed to come to Nepal.
COVID-19 travel requirements for Nepal
Preferably than a visa on arrival, visitors now need to get prior approval, give particulars of their itinerary, hire a local outfitting business and have health insurance that covers COVID-19 treatment.
Tourists are mandated to take a coronavirus test before leaving their home country, stayin quarantine at a hotel in Kathmandu (Nepal’s capital city) and then take different coronavirus test before being allowed to travel onward.
Local guides, porters, cooks and helpers who will be part of any mountaineering support team will also be asked to take coronavirus tests and prove they have been living in areas with no viruses for the past two weeks.
“We are trying to strengthen the tourism industry that was badly hit by the pandemic, but we are not taking any chances or any risks,” said Tamang. “We did a test run just lately with a foreign expedition team and now have a good idea of how to manage the experience tourists.”