Double entry fee for visiting Manaslu

Manaslu Conservation Area (MCAP) has also been collecting entry fees. According to the authority given by the Local Government Operation Act-074, the rural municipality has decided to collect the walking fee. Manoj Lamichhane, the chief administrative officer of the rural municipality, said that a trekking fee of Rs 1,000 for foreign tourists and Rs 200 for Nepalese tourists coming for trekking and mountain climbing in Manaslu area. The village council has also requested to pay the entrance fee only to walk.

According to the Local Governance Act and the Local Economic Act-081, the fee is set by the rural municipality. Manaslu Conservation Area (MCAP) has asked the rural municipality not to implement the decision to collect hiking fees from tourists. Sherchan, head of MCAP, said that the decision was requested not to be implemented as there is a possibility that the tourism of Manaslu area, which is becoming popular recently, will decrease due to the double fee.

MCAP has asked the rural municipality not to implement the decision through a letter. According to paragraph 9, subsection (2) of section 64 of the Local Governance Act-074, regardless of what is written in subsection (1), the determination and collection of entry fees for mountain climbing, national parks, wildlife reserves and conservation areas shall be as prescribed by the Government of Nepal. It has been written,' said Mmap in the letter written to the municipality.

It is mentioned in the letter that if the entrance fee is collected from all agencies within the protection zone contrary to the rules, the negative message will be spread among the tourists due to double or triple fees. The whole of Chumanubri rural municipality is in Manaslu region. For foreign, SAARC and Nepali tourists coming to Manaslu area for trekking, the entry fee from the collection center managed by the National Nature Conservation Fund has been set at Rs 3,000 for foreigners, Rs 1,000 for tourists from SAARC countries and Rs 100 for Nepali tourists. For the tourists who come without paying the specified entry fee, the entry permit has been issued by charging a double fee.

There is a provision for foreign tourists who come for padayatra to pay a fee set by the Nepal government and take an entry card issued by the immigration department. Tourism professionals say that MCAP's entry fee and the village council's hiking fee can send a negative message to tourists. Sherchan, the head of MCAP, said that if the money coming from the entrance fee reaches the local level in coordination with the higher authorities, it will be long-term. "Repeating does not send a good message, if we can create an environment in which the fees raised now will be shared with the rural municipality after discussion, it will also be long-term," he said.

According to Local Government Management Act-074, municipalities within conservation areas have been unable to collect taxes as expected because there is duplication in collecting taxes from areas of revenue mobilization as per Conservation and Parks Act.