Everest Region Trek has gained popularity all over the world as a best destination for trekking. This region lies in eastern part of Nepal. It is the permanent land of Sherpa people and home to many wildlife, flora and fauna. The area is protected under National Park regulation since . The National Park is categorized as UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979 AD.
The region Everest region is a popular area is due to activities like Expedition, Trekking, and Peak Climbing. Beside, 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 Mountain and six thousand meters peaks.
Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality (KPLRM), the local government body is playing important role in managing number of trekkers or tourist entering the National Park. The recent initiative taken by the local authorities is start of 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.
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.
This card is issued at the Tourist Information Center building at the main entrance to Mount Everest after disembarking at Lukla Airport. Tourists will get the card at the information center while paying the entrance fee for the national park and rural municipality. The trekkers can register their details in advance via online through this URL- www.trekcard.app/registration or you can scan the provided photo below.
Likewise, tourist can get the trek card upon arrival at the information center. Here, tourists’ passports are scanned, and they are required to fill in basic details on a form, including their country of origin, name, permanent and temporary contact numbers. 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.
There is no separate fee charged for the Trek Card. The rural municipality has been charging Rs 2,000 as ‘tourism service fee’ under the Local Government Operation Act. Tourists get a trek card for the same fee.
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.
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.
