Nepal bans solo trekkers throughout the country

Five years after banning solo adventurers from climbing Mount Everest, Nepal's government has extended the restriction to the whole country.

Five years after banning solo adventurers from climbing Mount Everest, Nepal's government has extended the restriction to the whole country.

Nepal is home to eight of the world's tallest mountains, but it is also known for its beautiful rural trekking regions. From now on, travelers who hope to trek in remote regions must hire a government-licensed guide or join a group.

While the trekking industry is one of the country's biggest moneymakers, the cost of search and rescue missions for solo hikers who get lost is significant.

"When you are traveling solo, in case of emergencies there is no one to help you," Mani R. Lamichhane, Director of the Nepal Tourism Board, tells CNN. "It is fine if they are traveling in the cities, but in the remote mountains, the infrastructure is not adequate."

Lamicchane adds: "When tourists go missing or they are found dead, even the government cannot track them because they have taken remote routes."

In addition to the challenges caused when hikers go missing in rural areas, Lamichhane says that unlicensed tour guides and companies are also an issue. These companies who do not register with the government do not pay taxes and, the tourism director alleges, take jobs away from Nepalis.

"There have been some cases where the trekking association has been requesting us to stop these unauthorized trekking operations. This has been a demand from tourism associations for a long time," he says.