Since May 1, 2024, Nepalis travelling to mainland China have no longer been required to pay visa fees . This move by the Chinese embassy in Nepal is seen as a reciprocal gesture to promote friendship and encourage people-to-people diplomacy between the two nations. Nepal has been waiving visa fees for Chinese nationals since 2016 and had been hoping for similar treatment.
Then, in June, Beijing made an even bigger announcement. During the 16th round of the Nepal-China diplomatic consultation mechanism meeting held in Kathmandu, Beijing revealed plans to promote Nepal as a key tourist destination for Chinese travellers declaring 2025 as ‘Visit Nepal Year in China’. Nepal’s top travel trade entrepreneurs, speaking to the Post, said China had never extended such a gesture to any other country before and described it as an unexpected show of soft power diplomacy, which could give a major boost to Nepal’s tourism sector.
China reclaimed its position as the top spender on international tourism in 2023, as Asia and the Pacific made strides in recovering from the pandemic's impacts. In 2022, the United States held the top spot. France, Spain, and the US ranked as the most-visited destinations.
According to UN Tourism , Chinese expenditure on travel abroad reached a staggering $196.5 billion in 2023, outpacing the US at $150 billion, Germany at $112 billion, the United Kingdom at $110 billion, and France with $49 billion. Chinese people travelling worldwide with their wallets .
