Everest Region
Everest Region Trek has gained popularity worldwide as a top destination for trekking and climbing. This region lies in the eastern part of Nepal. It is the permanent home of the Sherpa people and home to many wildlife, flora, and fauna. The area has been protected under National Park regulation since 1979 when it was categorized as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The activities like Mountain Expedition, Trekking, and Peak Climbing have made this region well commercialized. Besides, Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world, three more eight thousand meters mountain reside in this region namely, Mount Makalu and Mount Lhotse, Mount Cho Oyu. There are numerous Seven thousand meters of Mountain and six thousand meters peaks.
Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality :
Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality (KPLRM), the local government body is playing an important role in managing the number of trekkers or tourists entering the National Park. The recent initiative taken by the local authorities is the start of the Trek card application. This card plays a significant step towards ensuring the safety and seamless management of tourists visiting the Khumbu region.
Chairman Mingma Chiring Sherpa highlighted that the primary purpose of the ‘Trek Card’ is to enhance safety measures, effectively manage tourism, and promote the Khumbu area as an attractive tourist destination. Sherpa emphasized the rural municipality’s commitment to safeguarding and managing the well-being of all tourists arriving in the Khumbu area. The implementation of the ‘Trek Card’ is a testament to this dedication.
Trek Card Introduction:
The ‘Trek Card’ is a digital system uniquely developed by Khumbu Rural Municipality. The card acts as a tracking mechanism for tourists exploring the Khumbu region. Tourists are required to scan their cards at the nearest checkpoint when departing in the morning and again at the checkpoint where they are staying in the evening. Through this process, relevant information about their whereabouts is automatically relayed to the rural municipality and other pertinent agencies. The ‘Trek Card’ provides accurate data regarding their departure in the morning and their arrival at the evening destination.
How to get a Trek Card?
This card is issued at the Tourist Information Center building at the main entrance after exiting from Lukla gate. Tourists will get the card at the information center while paying the entrance fee for the national park and rural municipality. Likewise, trekkers can register their details in advance online through this URL- www.trekcard.app/registration or scan the provided photo below.
The Pros:
The system is designed to prioritize privacy, ensuring that any sensitive information tourists wish to keep confidential is securely managed in the software without scanning. The issuance process takes just three minutes, after which the ‘Trek Card’ is provided to the tourists.
Fee:
The rural municipality has been charging Rs 2,000 as ‘tourism service fee’ under the Local Government Operation Act. Which was increased to Rs 3,000 lately in 2024. However, tourists get the trekking card for the same fee as a token.
Safety concern:
The introduction of the ‘Trek Card’ comes in response to challenges faced by some tourists in the Khumbu region, such as getting lost and encountering difficulties in arranging accommodation. By implementing this innovative system, the rural municipality aims to minimize such obstacles and enhance the overall experience for visitors.
Additionally, the ‘Trek Card’ proves invaluable in providing tourists with vital information about the region’s geography and weather conditions. The ‘Trek Card’ serves as a safety measure, especially when tourists move between specific checkpoints like Goraksepp, Thukla, Gokyo, and Chukung. Failure to scan the card at these points for 24 hours raises red flags, alerting authorities to potential risks and enabling immediate search and rescue operations to prevent accidents and ensure tourist safety.
Privacy:
Similarly, the ‘Trek Card’ respects personal privacy and does not monitor tourists in real time. The system only provides information on morning departures and evening arrivals, as well as details on the locations where the card is scanned. Throughout the day, the card does not monitor tourists’ activities, safeguarding their privacy while still ensuring efficient safety measures.
