Nepal waives climbing fees on 97 mountains to promote tourism

Kathmandu: Nepal has announced that climbing fees will be waived for 97 mountains over the next two years, in a bid to promote tourism in lesser-known Himalayan regions.

The selected peaks, located in Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces, range in height from 5970 meters to 7132 meters.

The BBC cited the country’s tourism department as saying the government hopes the move will draw attention to underexplored destinations and diversify the country’s tourism offerings beyond popular routes.

At the same time, Nepal is set to increase the climbing permit fee for Mount Everest to 15,000 dollars starting in September — the first hike in nearly ten years.

Mountaineering remains a key source of income for Nepal, home to eight of the world’s ten highest mountains.

In 2024, climbing permits generated 5.9 million dollars in revenue, with Everest alone contributing more than 75% of that total.