Chinese visitors to arrive via charter flight

KATHMANDU, April 18:Chinese visitors arrived in Nepal by charter plane for the first time after Covid-19. On Thursday, 180 Chinese arrived in Nepal via Himalaya Airlines charter flight. The same number of Chinese will arrive by charter jet every week for the next four weeks.

Nepal Big Mountain (NBM) Travel Company, which hires a Chinese tourist plane and brings it to Nepal once a week, has notified. Each flight will carry 180 passengers. The Chinese government has added Nepal on the list of countries for its residents to visit since March 15, 2023, and the number of tourists from there has surged.

Despite the fact that the Chinese government has not issued an official announcement, travelers are flocking to Nepal from China. However, following the Chinese government's decision, they began arriving by chartering the jet.

Sudarshan Nepal, president of NBM, stated that when Nepal was included to the list of nations to visit, the Chinese government was able to bring in tourists in a short period of time. "We have already started bringing tourists by charter flight," Nepal stated, adding that "Chinese tourists are still waiting to come to Nepal."

He claims that if Nepal Airlines flies to China, more tourists will be able to visit. He claims that tourists who visit Nepal now remain for an average of eight days. "They will go to Kathmandu, Pokhara, Punhill, and short distance hiking routes," he explained.

The group arrived at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) and was greeted by Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Minister Sudan Kirati, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song, and Dr. Dhananjaya Regmi, CEO of Nepal Tourism Board. Chinese travelers were greeted with garlands at the airport.

Minister Kirati stated at the time that China is Nepal's primary tourism resource market. According to NTB CEO Regmi, Nepal's tourism began to return to the rhythm of tourism in 2023 following the Covid-19, and the presence of Chinese tourists will make Nepal's tourism sector more lively. Tourists crossing the Nepal-China border at Rasuwa and Tatopani have also been encouraged to enter Nepal.