Nepal set to welcome back Chinese travellers, but tourism recovery could be a long haul

China has not put Nepal on a priority list of nations with which to resume travel, and ‘there might be a lot of cancellations’

Nepal’s tour guides have been learning Chinese to prepare for a possible influx of visitors from China, who are expected to drive a tourism rebound in country

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Nepal is hoping for a rebound in tourism following China’s border reopening. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 1:51pm, 27 Jan 2023Updated: 2:08pm, 27 Jan 2023

Home to the world’s tallest mountain and the birthplace of Buddha, Nepal is betting on a rebound from one of the worst phases in its tourism history after China reopened its borders and travel demand began picking up in Southeast Asia.

But Beijing threw Nepal for a loop when it did not name the South Asian country in a select list of nations with which it will resume outbound group tours from February 6.

“My industry [has] got a very encouraging response from Chinese tour operators,” Dhananjay Regmi, CEO of Nepal Tourism Board told This Week in Asia. “But if Nepal is not on a priority list [for China], then there might be a lot of cancellations.”

Thamel, a commercial neighbourhood in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Photo: Shutterstock

Nepal’s quandary shows that any travel rebound to pre-Covid numbers could prove difficult despite China’s reopening and global tourism picking up.

Chinese travellers accounted for about 15 per cent of visitors to Nepal in 2019 before Beijing imposed strict restrictions following its zero-Covid policy.

Earlier this month, China said it would initially allow outbound group tours to 20 nations – including Singapore, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, New Zealand and Switzerland.

Beijing’s abrupt U-turn amid a Covid wave has provoked mixed reactions, with more than a dozen countries including Canada, the United States, Japan and South Korea imposing either a negative Covid test requirement or testing upon arrival for travellers from China. Others such as Thailand have welcomed the return of a batch of Chinese tourists with flower garlands.