NEPAL'S TOURISM MOVE: 97 PEAKS IN THE HIMALAYAS WILL BE OPENED FOR FREE CLIMBING

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Nepal announced that it will open 97 of its Himalayan mountains for free climbing for the next two years to revive tourism in some of its regions.

Fees for climbing Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, are being increased for the first time in approximately a decade, starting from September. It was announced that the fees will be raised to 15,000 dollars during the peak season. The Nepal Tourism Board stated that they aim for this initiative to highlight the country's unexplored tourism potential and destinations.

The peaks made free are located in Nepal's Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces. With heights ranging from 5,970 to 7,132 meters, these mountains are situated in one of the country's poorest and least developed regions.

In April 2024, the Nepal Supreme Court instructed the government to limit climbing permits issued for Everest and some other peaks. A new bill being discussed in the Nepali Parliament will require those wishing to climb Everest to have first ascended a mountain exceeding 7,000 meters in the country. This situation will make the free peaks in Karnali and Sudurpaschim ideal training areas.

While the number of climbers who ascended these 97 peaks in the last two years was only 68, 421 climbing permits were issued for Everest in 2024. Mountaineering constitutes a significant source of income for Nepal, which is home to the world's 10 highest mountains. Climbing fees generated 5.9 million dollars in revenue last year, with Everest accounting for more than three-quarters of this.

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