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Nepal has increased the fee to climb Mount Everest to $15,000
Nepal is raising Mount Everest permit fees by 35%, from $11,000 to $15,000, starting in September. The hike aims to boost revenue and improve safety and environmental efforts. Despite concerns over overcrowding and climate change, experts believe the increase won't deter climbers.
Nepal has announced a more than 35% increase in the permit fees for climbing Mount Everest, marking the first hike in nearly ten years. Starting in September, the fee will rise to $15,000 from the previous $11,000.
The fee increase is aimed at boosting the country's revenue, as Nepal depends heavily on income from foreign climbers. Narayan Prasad Regmi, the director general of the Department of Tourism, explained that the fees hadn't been adjusted for a long time. The new rate will apply during the peak climbing season in April and May, along the standard route first used by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953.
Fees for the less popular September-November season and the rarely climbed December-February season will also see a 36% increase, bringing them to $7,500 and $3,750, respectively.
Some expedition organizers, including Lukas Furtenbach of Furtenbach Adventures in Austria, noted that the fee hike, which has been discussed since last year, was not expected to deter climbers. Around 300 permits are issued annually for Everest.
Furtenbach called the increase a reasonable decision, adding that he hoped the additional funds would be used to improve safety and protect the environment on Everest. However, Regmi did not specify how the extra revenue would be allocated.
Each year, hundreds of climbers attempt to reach the summit of Everest and other Himalayan peaks. Nepal has faced criticism from mountaineering experts for allowing too many climbers on Everest and for inadequate measures to ensure safety and cleanliness. Regmi pointed out that cleaning campaigns are held to collect garbage, and safety measures like rope fixing are in place. Climbers returning from Everest have reported that the mountain is becoming drier and rockier, with less snow and precipitation, which experts attribute to global warming and other environmental factors.
Link source :
https://edition.cnn.com/travel/nepal-increases-mount-everest-climbing-fee-2025-intl-hnk/index.html
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