Pokhara, 4 March: Himalaya Airlines is set to operate Pokhara-Lhasa flights with the aim of increasing the arrival of foreign tourists to the tourist capital Pokhara. The airline has stated that it will start flights from Pokhara to Lhasa from Chaitra 18. With the announcement of the flight, tourism entrepreneurs here have expressed confidence that it will further help in promoting tourism in Pokhara.
This flight, which will be launched with the aim of making Pokhara more internationally known, is expected to be of significant help in bringing Chinese tourists to Nepal. Even after two years of the international airport being operational, commercial flights have not been able to continue. In such a situation, businessmen have reacted that the operation of the Pokhara-Lhasa flight by Himalaya Airlines has raised hopes of attracting Chinese tourists.
“There was great hope among businessmen when the Pokhara International Airport was opened, but that enthusiasm was somewhat dampened due to the lack of international flights as expected. Now, the news of flights from Pokhara to Lhasa, China, has raised new hopes in the tourism sector,” said Bharatraj Parajuli, central member of the Hotel Association. “This will not only increase the arrival of Chinese tourists in particular, but will also play an important role in establishing Pokhara as an international tourism hub.” He said that along with the flights, Nepal can increase the number of Chinese tourists by adopting an effective strategy.
Bishwaraj Poudel, president of Restaurant and Bar Association Rewan Pokhara, says that this flight, which is being launched along with the announcement of Pokhara Visit Year 2025, will pave the way for bringing Chinese tourists to Pokhara. “This flight will not only strengthen the local tourism industry by increasing the arrival of Chinese tourists, but will also help establish Pokhara as a major tourism hub in South Asia,” Poudel said.
Maniraj Lamichhane, Chief of Nepal Tourism Board Gandaki, said that the Pokhara-Lhasa flight will be a great achievement for the promotion of Pokhara’s tourism. He said, “This will strengthen the tourism relationship between Nepal and China and provide a smooth travel experience to Chinese tourists.”
According to Lamichhane, the number of Chinese tourists in Nepal was at a high point before COVID-19. In 2019, 169,543 Chinese tourists visited Nepal. Although the number decreased after the COVID pandemic, it has been improving recently. About 100,000 Chinese tourists visited Nepal in 2023. It is reported that 127 people from various sectors, including tourism entrepreneurs, will fly from Pokhara under the leadership of Pokhara Metropolitan City on the first flight from Pokhara to Lhasa, while about 1,000 tourists from China are preparing to come to Pokhara.
According to Himalaya Airlines spokesperson Vijay Shrestha, the flight will be operated once a week in the initial phase, and flights will be gradually increased as per demand. Shrestha said that the main objective of Himalaya Airlines is to operate flights to 10 different tourist destinations in China and bring one million Chinese tourists to Nepal annually.
