Kathmandu,November 5

Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN) is preparing to offer a 15 per cent discount on trekking packages to tourists during the Visit Nepal Year (VNY) 2020.

A board meeting held today decided to write a letter to all the TAAN member agencies requesting to provide 15 per cent discount on trekking packages to both domestic and foreign tourists during the VNY 2020 campaign.

According to Khum Bahadur Subedi, president of TAAN, it has targeted to attract around 800,000 tourists for trekking in 2020. Generally, Nepal receives around 400,000 trekkers annually.

According to TAAN around 70 per cent of tourists travelling to Nepal come for adventurous activities — trekking, mountaineering, and rafting, among others.

The letter will be forwarded to the member agencies from Wednesday.

Currently there are altogether 1,724 members in TAAN.

Meanwhile, Subedi also said that the private sector is all set to make VNY successful. However, the government has to be responsible towards the stakeholders.

In recent days, the trekking stakeholders, including guides and companies, have been complaining of random taxation system of the government.

“The government must regulate the double taxation system imposed on tourism entrepreneurs, which is discouraging them,” he said.

Subedi also said that the government has to focus on managing infrastructure, transportation, travel and other things for the convenient stay of tourists in Nepal.

Prior to this, Hotel Association Nepal and Homestay Association of Nepal had announced they will provide 30 per cent and 20 per cent discount, respectively, to tourists during VNY 2020 campaign year.

The government had announced VNY 2020 campaign in 2018 targeting to bring in two million tourists.