IT IS NOW MANDATORY for independent hikers in the Himalayan country to hire a guide or porter, after a policy change by the country’s tourist board.
Tourist officials say the policy will improve safety, prevent deaths and create up to 40,000 jobs – but critics label the policy an unfair attack on freedom of movement that may not succeed in its stated aims. They say budget travellers and those seeking solitude in the mountains are being unfairly excluded.
Supporters of the policy cite life-or-death safety concerns. “Every
