As many as 180 Chinese tourists have arrived in Nepal for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. The group was welcomed at the Tribhuvan International Airport by the Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Sudan Kirati, the Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song, and the Chief Executive of the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) Dhananjay Regmi. Minister Kirati mentioned that China is Nepal’s major tourist source market and expressed his happiness in welcoming Chinese tourists to Nepal. Similarly, Ambassador Song said that Nepal is the destination of choice for Chinese tourists, and the number of Chinese tourists coming to Nepal will increase gradually. NTB CEO Regmi mentioned that tourism activities in Nepal are gradually returning to their former rhythm in 2023 and said that the arrival of Chinese tourists will make Nepal’s tourism more sustainable. Himalaya Airlines is planning to bring more passengers to Nepal in the coming days through chartered flights. The number of Chinese tourists visiting Nepal had dropped significantly in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic, but the northern neighbor has recently relaxed its travel restrictions.