Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Suresh Acharya, said that the Nepal-China air services agreement review talks are going to take place soon and a Chinese team is expected to arrive here for the same after some time.[break]
As per the air services agreement with China, currently 16 flights are currently operated from China. Air China is operating seven flights, the China Eastern Airlines four and the China Southern three flights a week.
China has urged Nepal for a review of the existing air services agreement for operating additional flights following an increase in the number of Chinese people willing to visit Nepal.
In January 2012, six thousand six hundred and thirty-one Chinese tourists came to Nepal by flight while three thousand nine hundred and fifty-eight Chinese tourists came to Nepal using Tribhuvan International Airport in January this year.
Tourism entrepreneurs say that the number of Chinese tourists visiting the country has fallen due to inadequate flights.
China has come up with a proposal to add at least 10 flights in a week. Due to the inadequacy of flights between Nepal and China, many Chinese tourists have to opt for lternative means of travel.
Nepal´s immediate northern neighbour China which is making a rapid stride in economic development has approved Nepal as the outbound destination for its citizens. It has placed Nepal as the ninth outbound tourist destination.
Nepal has so far entered ito air services agreement with 36 countries.
It has been signing bilateral ASAs with different countries since five decades.
The Ministry stated that Australia, the U.S.A., the United Kingdom, Cambodia, Indonesia and the Russian Federation have proposed Nepal for signing bilateral ASAs.
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