Nepal was a special part of the opening ceremony of the 5th Sichuan International Travel Expo 2018 on Sept. 7. Hon’ble Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Mr. Rabindra Prasad Adhikari, attended the program as a part of the high-level Government delegation from Nepal to forge new partnership between the Sichuan Province of China and Nepal for joint promotion of the shared Buddhist heritage.
At the opening ceremony, Hon’ble Tourism Minister appreciated the role of the Chinese Government for their support to initiate promotional partnership with Nepal, welcoming close association and looking forward to productive results ahead for both countries.
The Minister- led delegation also attended the Emei Global Summit for signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Leshan Municipality in China and the municipalities of Ramgram and Tansen, and the Lumbini Development Trust, in Nepal.
The first day of the Travel Expo went well at Mt. Emei, which went till Sept. 9. Visitors to the stall included international delegates, members of China and international tourism fraternity, Chinese tour operators, international buyers, professionals and family people.
Fourteen Nepalese tour operators also participated at a B2B session in the same venue. A presentation and visuals on Nepal were put up at the program, attended by international buyers.
Simultaneously, Nepal Week of handicraft exhibition started on Sept. 5 till 9, to display and sell Nepali handicrafts including wood work, metal work, Thanka, pottery etc. The event also included showcasing Nepal through heritage culinary, cultural dance and photo exhibition.
Similarly, the official ceremony of the handover of Holy Soil of Lumbini Sacred Garden to the Leshan Mountain Grand Buddha Garden, in Sichuan, China, was done on Sept. 8, in the presence of Hon’ble Tourism Minister Mr. Rabindra Prasad Adhikari and the Nepal delegates.
Representatives from NATTA, Nepal Tourism Board, Lumbini Development Trust were also present on the occasion.
Response at both the Travel Expo and Nepal Week handicraft fair had been positive with much interest shown by the Chinese consumers. The market is full of possibilities for Nepal’s tourism to increase arrival numbers from Sichuan for Visit Nepal 2020.
In terms of attraction, Nepal’s Buddhist heritage and Lumbini – Birthplace of Buddha, are highly regarded by the Buddhist population of Sichuan, Leshan in particular. Promotion of the key products and the least cumbersome accessibility – 2.5 hours flight from Chengdu to Kathmandu and Gratis visa for Chinese tourists, in addition to customized packages to create the best experiences for the visitors, are of utmost essence to tap the market.
(Source: Nepal Tourism Board)
