Kathmandu, Jan. 3 -- In June 2024, Beijing made a high-profile announcement. During the 16th round of the Nepal-China diplomatic consultation mechanism meeting held in Kathmandu, China unveiled plans to promote Nepal as a key destination for Chinese travellers, declaring 2025 as 'Visit Nepal Year in China'.

Informally, senior Chinese officials pledged to bring at least 500,000 Chinese tourists to Nepal. The reality, however, fell far short.

Despite the diplomatic fanfare, arrivals from China registered negative growth.

In 2025, Nepal welcomed just over one million tourists for the third time since the pandemic, posting a marginal year-on-year growth of 1 percent.

Tourism entrepreneurs had initially hailed the Chinese announcement as a...