Nepal, which houses the world’s most pristine Mount Everest among many other mountain ranges, is now opened for tourism! However, there’s a catch. Not all tourists are permitted to visit this adventurous country. For now, keeping the covid-19 pandemic and other safety precautions in mind, tourism will only be limited to those looking to trek the mountains in the country.
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Trekkers Planning To Climb Varied Mountain Ranges Can Enter The Country
As per the Associated Press, trekkers wanting to climb some of the most magnificent peaks in the world, including Mount Everest can now enter the country. For the same, trekkers will have to obtain a visa in advance and arrive with a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours before boarding the flight. They further need to have a hotel booking to quarantine for at least seven days in the country, according to the Nepal Tourism Board.
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Trekkers Will Have To Bear The Cost of Second Covid Test Taken In The Country On Fifth Day of Arrival
Well, that’s not it, travellers also need to have an insurance that would cover at least AED 18,366 ($5,000) per person in case they contract COVID-19. Besides this, tourists will also be required to take a second covid-19 test on their fifth day of quarantine at their own expense. On this, Rudra Singh Tamang, the director-general of Nepal’s Department of Tourism told Associated Press,
“We are not opening the country for all visitors and only mountaineers and trekkers who have taken prior permission will be allowed to come to Nepal. We are opening to a sector of visitors who we know we can handle and manage.”
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Also besides the trekkers, guides, porters, cooks, or helpers supporting them must take a COVID-19 test. They have to prove that they haven’t been in an area with infections in the past two weeks, the wire service reported. On this Tamang said,
“We are trying to revive the tourism industry that was badly hit by the pandemic, but we are not taking any [chances] or any risks.”