Chinese tourism to Nepal is set to slump after days of deadly political unrest have left many travellers “scared” to visit, dealing a potentially lasting blow to a country that had been emerging as a trendy travel destination for young Chinese.
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The eruption of anti-government protests in Nepal earlier this month sparked “mass cancellations” that wiped out about 50 per cent of Chinese travellers’ bookings for September, according to data compiled by the travel marketing and technology company China Trading Desk.
And the impact will be felt for months to come, according to the company’s CEO Subramania Bhatt. Bookings for the rest of 2025 will decline by 30 per cent, after averaging about 7,500 per month from January to August, he said.
“Right now, a few days after a week of death and destruction, tourists are scared to travel to Nepal, including Chinese tourists,” said Wolfgang Arlt, executive director of the Kathmandu-based tourism research group Meaningful Tourism Centre.
Travel disruptions have further daunted travellers. Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport briefly closed during the unrest. At least two mainland Chinese airlines have suspended their Nepal flights, according to civil aviation analyst Li Hanming.
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Cathay Pacific said it had cancelled all flights from its home base of Hong Kong to Kathmandu from September 15 to 30 “out of an abundance of caution”.