Registration and tracking of foreign tourists to be done through digital system

Kathmandu, Sept 2: The registration and tracking of foreign tourists will be done through an electronic system, the Department of Immigration has stated through a notice it issued today. The Director General of the Department, Ramchandra Tiwari, said that a new system has been developed with the aim of ensuring the safety of foreign nationals, facilitating information, controlling potential crimes, and promoting tourism in Nepal. It is believed that the implementation of the developed system will facilitate the management of records for the stay and activities of foreign nationals visiting Nepal on visit visas. The Department has also posted the process for registration in the system and the 'manual' on its website. It is also stated that one can contact the Department's Information Technology branch or the Department if further information is required regarding this. The Department has stated that correspondence has been done to the District Monitoring Committees of all 77 districts to follow up on the implementation of the system. According to the Department, this system is set to be mandatory in five-star hotels within the Kathmandu Valley starting from September 17. In the second phase, this system will be implemented in all star hotels, airlines, tour and travel companies, and money exchange service providers starting from November 17. The Department has requested public institutions and private companies that provide services to foreign nationals to mandatorily join the system. The Department recently held discussions with stakeholders including the Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN) about implementing the new system. According to the Association, although discussions about this system have been ongoing for a long time, it could not yet be implemented. HAN has stated that an official opinion on the new system will be made public shortly.