Foreign tourists travelling to all trekking areas in Nepal will have to get Trekking Information Management System (TIMS) cards starting next week. This decision was reached following a joint meeting of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN) held on Monday (April 20, 2015).

According to the new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for implementation of TIMS, it is mandatory for foreigners heading to Kanchanjunga, Makalu-Barun, Everest, Rolwaling, Panchpokhari-Bhairavkunda, Langtang-Helambu, Ganesh Himal-Ruby Valley, Manaslu, Annapurna Region, Mustang, Dolpa, Rara, and Humla to get TIMS cards.

As reported by Republica, Ramesh Adhikari, the administrative chief of NTB, informed that NTB will issue TIMS cards for Free Individual Trekkers (FITs) from its head office in Kathmandu and its Pokhara office, while TAAN will issue TIMS cards for group trekkers as well as FITs from its office at Maligaun and TIMS Counter in Thamel.

As per the new provision, group trekkers will be issued ‘blue’ TIMS card upon payment of Rs 1,000, while FITs will get ‘green’ TIMS card after paying a fee of Rs 2,000 each. Similarly, mountaineers with climbing permits issued by Department of Tourism (DoT) and Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) will get ‘yellow’ TIMS cards by paying a fee of Rs 2,000 each. Similarly, group trekkers and FITs from SAARC countries will have to pay a fee of Rs 300 and Rs 600, respectively. On the other hand, Foreigners working with government agencies or diplomatic missions need to acquire TIMS card by paying a fee of Rs 500 each.

Of the total revenue collected through TIMS, NTB, TAAN, and joint fund of NTB and TAAN will get 30 percent each, while remaining 10 percent will go to Worker’s Welfare Fund, according to the MoU.