Nepal ready to welcome Chinese tourists: official

KATHMANDU -- Nepal is ready to welcome Chinese tourists back as a popular destination, a Nepali official said.

Nepal "is all prepared with added facilities, amenities, properties and products to welcome valued tourists from China in the days and years to come," Suresh Adhikari, secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, wrote in a recent message to the Chinese embassy.

The secretary referred to the "age-long" cultural and economic relations between Nepal and China and described his country as a "popular destination" for tourists.

He extended "hearty greetings and best wishes" to the Chinese government and people on the auspicious occasion of the Chinese New Year, which fell on Sunday.

The Nepali government has reportedly prepared a Strategic Action Plan for Visit Nepal Decade (2023-2032) with a view to bringing in 3.5 million tourists and creating one million additional jobs in the tourism sector battered by the COVID-19 pandemic.