April 2: The Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) is hopeful that the new guideline related to the Trekkers' Information Management System (TIMS) would make trekking and mountaineering tourism in the country be more safe and secure.    
Issuing a statement on Saturday, TAAN Chairperson Nilhari Bastola expressed confidence that the new guidelines issued by the government to streamline TIMS would aid in making trekking and mountaineering tourism safer.    
TAAN welcomed the move of the Nepal Tourism Board for issuing the Guidelines on Management of TIMS-2079 BS that came into effect from April 1.    
The umbrella association of trekking agencies in the country further said that the new guideline would contribute in making trekking sector more competitive, bolstering confidence of tourism entrepreneurs thereby attracting more investment in mountaineering tourism and increasing employment opportunities.    
Furthermore, it said that the mountaineering tourism's contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) of the country would increase with the new guideline introducing Nepal as a safe destination in the world tourism market.    
President Bastola asserted that TAAN has been working for reforms at policy level to make tourism more secured, disciplined, entrepreneurs-friendly, employment generator and sustainable and pledged to continue doing so in the coming days. -- RSS