Kathmandu, March 22 -- The Department of Immigration (DoI) has revised its trekking permit policy for restricted areas, allowing individual foreign tourists to obtain permits that were previously issued only to groups of two or more.

The decision, made at the department level on Sunday, comes after sustained lobbying by the Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN) and other tourism stakeholders, who argued that the restriction on solo trekkers was hindering tourism and discouraging independent travellers.

Issuing a notice on Sunday, Tikaram Dhakal, the department's spokesperson, said that solo travellers would still be subject to strict safety provisions. They must be accompanied by a licensed trekking guide, and their trip must b...