Kathmandu, March 20
Beginning Friday, the government of Nepal has decided to temporarily bar foreigners from trekking any place in the country citing growing coronavirus fears. Nepal Tourism Board under the government says it will not distribute a tourist information management system (TIMS) card, a document that is mandatory for the foreigners to possess while trekking.
The TIMS cards are being distributed by the board and the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN). The board says the distribution will be halted till the next notice.
In the past years, this season would attract thousands of foreign trekkers to Nepal. But with no trekker arriving, many hotels, resorts, and local businesses have been hit hard this spring.
