TIMS card collection boosted revenue in April

Trekking Agency Association of Nepal (TAAN) and Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) has issued 16 787 Trekkers’ Information Management System (TIMS) card.
In accordance to TAAN during the month of April, it issued a total of 12 615 cards and raised a total amount of Rs 13.716 million.
The government has made some differences to existing TIMS, provisions have been implemented from 1st of April. In accordance to the government’s decision, NTB and TAAN will together implement the TIMS.
NTB and TAAN signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on March 18 to regulate the TIMS system with a new format. According to the MoU, it has introduced separate TIMS Cards for Free Individual Trekkers (FITs) and organized groups.

Trustees should have a Green TIMS cards by paying equivalent Nepalese currency per head $ 20, while traveling in a group must have blue cards TIMS equivalent to the currency of Nepal to $ 10 per person. Hikers who use the services of trekking agencies can pay fee for TIMS card in US dollar also.

TIMS cards are now available for FITs at the NTB offices in Pokhara and Kathmandu, TAAN secretariat at Pokhara upon finishing the TIMS application form and TAAN secretariat at Maligaon. Trekking companies shall collect data and insert into the central database and provide hikers with a TIMS card after paying the appropriate fees. TIMS card is mandatory for travel through paths of all tours in the country.

Anyway, TIMS cards are not required for members of the expedition with climbing permit issued by the government and Nepal Mountaineering Association visitors to controlled areas having permits issued by the Department of Immigration, foreign guests invited by the government, authorities from the various diplomatic missions present in the country, who hold official letters and travel at their own risk.

Visitors arriving for some missions are recommended by relevant government departments and foreign national s with a residence visa.

NTB and TAAN records hiker’s details and issue’s TIMS cards.
Due to improper record system of trekkers and their exact location, details of walking routes, rescue and search mission groups cope with difficulties in identifying the missing hikers before.