The Department of Immigration has fined Garima Bhoyaj Travels Tours and Treks Pvt Ltd Rs 50,000 for attempting to take two Belgian tourists into Dolpo Buddha Rural Municipality without the required trekking permit. The action was taken under Section 10 of the Immigration Act, 2049, according to department spokesperson Geeta Ghimire. A guide involved in the case was also actioned, reports say.
Agency fined under Immigration Act
The department’s action followed an attempt to take the two Belgian citizens into the restricted area without permission. The case places responsibility on the trekking agency for arranging travel into a location where a permit is required. The reported fine is Rs 50,000, while the guide involved was separately actioned. Available reports do not specify what measure was taken against the guide.
Ghimire said the department acted under Section 10 of the Immigration Act, 2049. The law is the stated basis for the penalty against the company. The department’s announcement, as reported, does not provide further details about how the attempted journey was stopped, when the attempt took place or whether the tourists ultimately entered the area.
Khabarhub’s report said the agency was taking the two Belgian citizens into the restricted area without permission. The case concerns the agency’s attempt to arrange access, rather than a reported incident after the tourists had travelled through the municipality.
Permit requirement for restricted-area travel
Dolpo Buddha Rural Municipality is identified in the reports as a restricted area, and the tourists could not be taken there without the required trekking permit. The case highlights the need for trekking companies and guides to confirm that travellers have the necessary authorisation before proceeding to such destinations. In this instance, the department’s reported enforcement action was directed at the agency and also involved a guide.
The reports do not state whether the company had applied for a permit, what documentation it may have submitted, or why permission was absent. They also do not identify the precise route or intended itinerary. Without those details, the case establishes only that the department found the agency was attempting to take the Belgian visitors into the area without the required permission and imposed a fine under the cited law.
Enforcement action and unanswered details
The fine puts the agency’s conduct under scrutiny and serves as a reminder that travel arrangements to restricted destinations are subject to permit requirements. For trekking operators, the reported case underscores the importance of checking access rules before taking foreign clients toward a restricted area. It also shows that action may extend beyond a company: a guide associated with the attempt was reported to have faced action as well, though the nature of that action has not been made clear in the available information.
The department has not, in the details reported so far, provided information about the date of the incident, the process used to determine the violation or whether further measures are planned. The reported penalty remains Rs 50,000 against Garima Bhoyaj Travels Tours and Treks Pvt Ltd. Rajdhani Daily also reported on the department’s action.
