NEPALI inbound operators have been seeing a steady increase in the number of high-end mainland Chinese customers.
Rabin Bajracharya, director sales of Lalitpur-based Global Holidays, which has an office in Shenzhen, said, year to date, he had seen more than 100 per cent year-on-year growth for business from mainland China to Nepal. The number of travellers had been growing steadily over the last three to four years, he added.
Bajracharya attributed the growth in traffic from the mainland to more frequent promotions, increasing Chinese spending power, the relative proximity of these destinations to mainland China, as well as good flight connections. This is in spite of the fact that Mainland Chinese travellers have to avail of a US$25 visa to enter Nepal, valid for stays of up to 15 days.
“(Mainland Chinese) like to combine Nepal with Tibet, and sometimes Bhutan and India,” he said. “They spend an average of seven to eight days, and about US1,100 per pax. If it is an adventure trip, then they stay about 10-12 days.”
Bajracharya said his mainland Chinese clients usually partake in mountaineering, trekking, extreme adventure sports, and even cultural tours, all facilitated with the help of tour guides fluent in Mandarin.
Kalyan Raj Sharma, managing director of Kathmandu-based Adventure Outdoor Excursion, which has an office in Beijing, similarly reported a 20-30 per cent jump in mainland Chinese traffic for the year so far, compared to the same period last year.
Sharma’s clients, mainly from tier one Chinese cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Kunming, usually come to Nepal to enjoy the scenery and mountainous terrain, he said, adding that they stay an average of one week and spend about US$500 per pax.
