Govt. slashes mountaineering permit fee
Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has heavily reduced mountaineering permit fee in a bid to attract more mountaineers to the country. The new permit fee will come into effect from July 16, 2008.
Royalty on climbing permit to Mt. Everest has been reduced by 50% in autumn and 75% in winter and summer. However, the royalty structure remains the same for the spring season, the busiest season for Everest. Likewise, the number of people allowed on a US $ 70,000 permit has been increased to 15 from 12. Similarly, the government has also decided to implement Incremental Royalty Break-down System. Under this system, royalty amount would be increased as per the increase in the number of people in the expedition.
Likewise, in a bid to ease pressure on Mt. Everest and other popular peaks and encourage mountaineering in unexplored backward areas of the country, the government has decided to waive cent percent royalty fee to expedition teams climbing mountain peaks in the mid and far west development regions of the country for the next five years.
The decision to reduce mountaineering royalty fee was taken as per the suggestions of Mountaineering Royalty Fee Review Committee constituted by the government some months back.
