SANN NewsThe Department of Immigration has begun awarding route permits for local and foreign tourists traveling to restricted zones through an online system.
Prior to this, the DOI issued permits to tourists visiting prohibited zones only after they had completed the necessary processes and paperwork. However, since last week, plans have been established to issue route permits electronically.
According to Binod Sapkota, General Secretary of the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN), the availability of route permits online will make it easier for tourists to visit the upper Mustang, upper Dolpa, Tsum, and Nuvri Valleys of Gorkha’s Manaslu region, Simkot, Changkheli, and Namkha of Humla district, and the Kanchenjunga region of Taplejung.
Similarly, TAAN President Neelhari Bastola stated that the more tourists that can be accommodated, the more likely they are to visit Nepal. “I believe that this online service will help promote the trekking industry,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Acting Director General Department of Immigration Krishna Bahadur Katwal stated that with the new system in place, tourists can now simply obtain permits online by making a ‘QR payment’ through a trekking company or their personal accounts.
