Welcoming Chinese visitors: can Nepal cash in on Beijing’s tourism campaign?

Tired of city life, Guangzhou resident Chu Yu has set her sights on Nepal’s peaceful mountains for her next adventure.

“After Covid, we need some connection with nature,” says Chu, 29, referring to the growing trend of young Chinese hiking and trekking at home and abroad. “Nepal is a budget-friendly destination and the culture there is really vibrant.”

Visitors like Chu are likely to add to the anticipated influx of Chinese tourists to Nepal in 2025 amid the Chinese government’s tourism promotion campaign – Visit Nepal Year in China – that was announced during a high-level diplomatic meeting between the two countries in June.

While political analysts view the initiative as China’s soft power push to help Nepal achieve its goal of welcoming 2 million tourists next year, travel entrepreneurs see an occasion to bolster Nepal’s tourism industry, which contributed 6.6 per cent to the country’s gross domestic product in 2023.

“This is a huge opportunity for us,” says Bidur Prasad Khatiwada, chairman of the China Tour Promotion Committee of the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents. “It could massively benefit our tourism industry.”

Over the past decade, China has become a major tourist source for the Himalayan nation known for its trekking trails in the foothills of the Everest and Annapurna mountain ranges.