Nepal has decided to relax the rule related to the fee for foreigners willing to visit the Upper Mustang region of western Nepal, a naturally beautiful but geopolitically sensitive area due to its proximity to the Nepal-China border. A cabinet meeting recently decided to remove the flat fee of US$ 500 per person for a 10-day visit and replace it with a fee of US$ 50 per person per day, or an equivalent amount in foreign currency. The government said the move was taken to promote tourism in the area in response to demands from local residents and tourism entrepreneurs. Speaking to the media, spokesperson for the Home Ministry, Ananda Kafle said, the fee was revised based on the number of days foreigners spend in the area, so that visitors staying for shorter periods would not be required to pay the higher amount.
Upper Mustang has been one of the most restricted and highly regulated areas for foreigners since the 1970s, when Tibetan Khampa rebels used the region as a base to launch an armed struggle against Chinese rule in Tibet. The insurgency, allegedly supported by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), was eventually crushed by the Nepal Army following complaints from China.
