Nepal Gov. to reduce fees to climb Everest
Nepal Gov. to reduce fees to climb Everest
Nepalese government has announced cuts to mountaineering fees aimed at attracting more climbers, the Ministry of Tourism said Thursday. The fee for climbing Mount Everest on the main route from the Nepal side has been reduced to 11,000 dollars per person for foreigners during the spring climbing season, down from the previous rate of 25,000 dollars.
Those climbing alternative routes will pay 10,000 dollars. The fees have also been lowered for other seasons, which are not as popular with climbers, and for other peaks. The fee changes for foreign climbers will come into effect from January 1, 2015, according to the Tourism Ministry.
The Everest climbing fee for Nepalese has been set at 75,000 Nepalese rupees (around 760 dollars) per person, with effect from Thursday. "There was no separate fee for Nepalese climbers in the past, so many had to climb as guides so they could get a waiver, in order to avoid the high climbing fees," said Sharad Pradhan, spokesman for the Nepal Tourism Board." But with the new rule, they will be able to climb as mountaineers themselves and avoid the lengthy process of applying for a waiver."
Chitwan Elephant Festival 2013
The 10th edition of Chitwan Elephant Festival 2013 is going to be held in the capital city of elephants - Sauraha, Chitwan, from December 26 to 30 on the occasion of New Year 2014. Organizers unveil the 10th edition of Chitwan Elephant Festival 2013 to be organized from December 26 to 30 in Sauraha amid a press conference in the capital on Sunday.
Organizers unveil the 10th edition of Chitwan Elephant Festival 2013 to be organized from December 26 to 30 in Sauraha amid a press conference in the capital on Sunday. Organizing a press conference in the capital on Sunday, Regional Hotel Association Nepal, Chitwan said the main aim of organizing the event is to boost tourism industry along with disseminating awareness on the preservation of wildlife.
The five-day event will feature elephant race, elephant calf football and elephant beauty contest, said the Association. “Similarly, the event will have other attractions like oxcart race, horse cart race, canoe race among others.” The festival will have foreign participants as well, however, there will be less participants compared to the previous year, said media coordinator Keshav Pandey. Altogether 20 elephants will contest in the festival, said Pandey. “The festival has been extended by two more days this year in a view to extend the stay of tourists in Chitwan in New Year.”
Nat’l Open Climbing from December 24
National Mountaineering Association (NMA) is all set to organise second IFSC National Open Lead Climbing Competition at Himalaya Climbing & Training Centre, Balaju from December 24 to 25, 2013.
The competition, which will stretch over two days, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day wil bel held under the rules and regulations of International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC), said the organizer in a press statement.
In the two day event, the competitors will climb along a route designed and set by the route setter, and attempt to reach the top, which in climbing terms, is in the end of the route. Interested ones can register their name by December 22, 2013 at NMA, Naxal & Astrek Wall Climbing, Thamel by paying Rs 1000, according to the organizer.
Kathmandu ranked 3rd destination in the world
Kathmandu has been ranked third in Trip Advisor’s Traveler’s Choice for destinations on rise in the world and has emerged as the top rising destination in Asia. Trip Advisor, an international travel site, revealed the top ten winners of its Traveler’s Choice 2013. The list is based on reviews and votes of travelers. The “destinations on rise” category rates the places that have seen the biggest increase in positive reviews
from travelers on the site over the past year.
Kathmandu is mystical and magical place, a trove of ancient structures that are enveloped in folklore, Trip Advisor describes the city. The site claims to have over 260 million unique visitors monthly and operates in 34 countries, including China. Kathmandu is the only destination to make it to the list from south Asia. Other destinations from Asia include Isreal, Japan and Vietnam. Kathmandu has also been named the best backpack destination by Australian travelers in the site.
In 2012, over 800,000 travelers came to Nepal by air alone. Statistics show that tourist arrivals have increased gradually in 2013 month to month comparison.
Trip Advisor’s Top 10 Destinations on the Rise in the World:
1. Havana, Cuba
2. La Fortuna de San Carlos, Costa Rica
3. Kathmandu, Nepal
4. Jerusalem, Israel
5. Cusco, Peru
6. Ambergris Caye, Belize
7. Sapporo, Japan
8. Hanoi, Vietnam
9. Corralejo, Spain
10. Fortaleza, Brazil
Tourism minister urges - clean-up campaign in Himalayas
Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sports, Ram Kumar Shrestha, has requested Nepal Mountaineers' Association (NMA) to spearhead clean-up campaigns in the Himalayas, so that the natural environment of the magnificent mountains could be preserved and kept intact. Addressing a function organized to mark the NMA’s four decades of establishment (40th anniversary) in Kathmandu Friday, Minister Shrestha said construction of physical infrastructures and services and facilities to climbers is also expected from the NMA. On the occasion, Minister Shrestha honored mountaineers, researchers and journalists for their contribution to the development of mountain tourism in Nepal, according to RSS. Among the award recipients, mountaineer Lhakpa Sherpa was honoured with 'Kumar Khadga Bikram Adventure Award'.
Similarly, Himalayan Rescue Association was awarded with 'Late Dr. Harka Mountain Award', while RSS journalist Bikas Lohani was honoured with 'Dawa Norbu Tourism Award'. Likewise, retired employee of NMA and adventure climber Ang Rita Sherpa was also honoured. Certificates were also given away to trainees receiving training on basic mountaineering courses. The NMA was established on November 1, 1973. It has set up an International Mountain Museum in Pokhara and an International Mountaineering Memorial Park at Kakani of Nuwakot, added the RSS.
TAAN public map of new trekking trails
The Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) has make public the map and VCD of new trekking routes in western Nepal. Launching the 35th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of TAAN in the capital on Friday, Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Sushil Ghimire formally released the mapping and VCD of new trekking routes. The association has indentified and developed 12 new trekking routes in Humla, Mugu, Rara, Khaptad and Jaljala in the past two years.
The government has also waived the royalty for the mountain climbing in the mid and far-western regions in order to boost up tourism industry, RSS quoted Ghimire as saying. “As mountain and trekking tourism are identities of Nepal, the government is committed to promote these sectors in corporation with the private sector,” he said.
On the occasion, the Association's Chairperson Mahendra Singh Thapa urged the government to focus on the development of trekking sector. Meanwhile, TAAN will elect a 17-member executive committee through the AGM.
ST Team wins TAAN adventure sporting Event
Single Track Team has secured first position in the 1st TAAN International Eco-Challenge held in Kathmandu on Saturday.
The team, which comprised of 6.5-kilometer of running, 14.5-kilometer cycling and 7.5-kilometer rafting, completed the race in 2 hours, 43 minutes and 37 seconds. Narayan Gopal Maharjan, Buddhi Bahadur Tamang, Aayaman Thing Tamang and Jebi Limbu were the members in the team. Dhanjit Rai was the manager of the team. Similarly, Tribhuvan Army Club 'B' of Nepal Army secured the second position with the timing of 2 hours, 46 minutes and 59 seconds. The team managed by Pushpa Raj Shahi comprised of Himal Tamata, Tikaram Thapa, Chitra Poudel and Basanta Choudhary. Likewise, El Yak Team finished the event in third position with the timing of 2 hours 48 minutes and 16 second. The team comprised of team manager Dawa Sherpa and athletes Mangal Krishna Lama, Sunil Lama, Rajan Raj Bhandari and Richard Bull. Minister for Youth and Sports; Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Ram Kumar Shrestha handed over cash prizes, trophies, medals and certificates to the winners and runners-up. The first team received cash prize of Rs 100,000 along with a trophy, gold medals and certificates. Similarly, the first runner-up received a purse of Rs 75,000, trophy, medals and certificates, while the second runner-up took home Rs 50,000, trophy, medals and certificates. Earlier, Australian Ambassador to Nepal His Excellency Glenn White and Member Secretary of National Sports Council jointly inaugurated the event amid a colorful ceremony in Tokha. A total of 21 teams participated in the event.
TAAN organized the event with the objective of developing an international standard adventure sporting event in the country.
36,550 tourists visit Everest Park
A total of 36,550 tourists visited the Sagarmatha National Park in the last fiscal year 2069/070 BS. According to Chief Conservation Officer of the Park, Ram Chandra Kandel, the highest number of tourist from the United Kingdom visited the Park in the last fiscal year, state-owned news agency RSS reports.
A total of 33,390 tourists visited the Park in the fiscal year and 36,315 in the fiscal year 2068/069 BS.
According to statistics of the Park, it collected over Rs. 91.146 million revenue on different topics including Rs. 86.587 million from entry fees during the last fiscal year. The entry fee for each tourist from SAARC region has been managed as Rs. 1,500 and tourists except from SAARC region as Rs. 3,000. Sources- RSS.
Nepal's population at 26.6 million
The Central Bureau of Statistics, on Monday, released the final result of the 11th National Census and said that Nepal' population stands at 26,494,505. In the report of National Population and Housing Census 2011 published by the CBS, the population of the country has grown to 1.35%,since the last census.
Report says the male population stands at 12,849,041 while population of female is 13,645,463. Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai made public the 2011 census report at a program in Singha Durbar.
The sex ratio is 94.16 compared to 99.8 of 2001 census.Terai constitutes of 50.27 percent (13,318,705) of the total population.Similarly, hilly and mountain areas constitute 43 percent (11,394,007) and 6.73 percent (1,781,792) respectively.
Date: 26/11/2012, by Asian Hiking Team