The first commercial chartered flight from Pokhara International Airport to Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China, on Chaitra 5 has been followed by various promotional events in Chinese cities. Despite long-standing demands from the Pokhara community and joint efforts of the public and private sectors, regular international flights had not commenced even two years after the airport’s inauguration. A 126-member team that witnessed the historic first flight to Chengdu conducted promotional programs and returned on Tuesday.
The flight, organized by the Pokhara Tourism Council in collaboration with Pokhara Metropolitan City, Nepal Tourism Board, Sichuan Airlines, and the Chinese Association in Nepal, has raised great hopes for tourism growth, said Pokhara Tourism Council President Taranath Pahari.
Sichuan Airlines has initiated chartered flights to make the Pokhara-Chengdu route regular. During the first flight, discussions with government representatives and tourism entrepreneurs in China, along with B2B and sales missions, created optimism for the continuation of international flights, Pahari added. “We observed strong interest from the Chinese delegation in maintaining regular flights,” he said. “Significant discussions were held to enhance tourism partnerships between Nepal and China.”
Sichuan Province alone has a population of 90 million, with Chengdu and Chongqing being major sources of outbound tourists. According to Mani Raj Lamichhane, head of the Gandaki Province office of the Nepal Tourism Board, the B2B and sales mission programs in these cities were highly successful. “This initiative has established a direct connection between Pokhara and China, beyond just Kathmandu,” Lamichhane said. “The message that Pokhara is directly linked to Chinese cities has reached its sister cities.”
Highlighting the presence of international airports in Pokhara and Bhairahawa, Lamichhane stated that the direct Pokhara-Chengdu flight has increased awareness about Nepal’s aviation infrastructure beyond Kathmandu. China had restricted outbound travel for its citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic but lifted restrictions in March 2023. The number of Chinese tourists in Nepal has since grown, reaching 101,879 in 2024.
Chinese tourism professionals note that school holidays in China occur in June and July, during which families prefer short-haul destinations like Hong Kong or Thailand. Given Pokhara’s proximity to Thailand, it has strong potential as a preferred destination. Over the next three months, efforts are underway to bring around 1,250 Chinese tourists directly to Pokhara International Airport from Sichuan Province, according to the Chinese Embassy, Sichuan Airlines, and China Travel International Chengdu.
During the promotional visit, Pokhara Metropolitan City Mayor Dhanraj Acharya held formal discussions with Liu Zhenxi, the Mayor of Luzhou City, strengthening sister-city ties between Pokhara and Luzhou. Both sides agreed to deepen cooperation in education, healthcare, tourism, and sports. Pokhara Visit Year 2025 Committee Coordinator Gopi Bahadur Bhattarai emphasized that Pokhara’s natural beauty, cultural heritage, and adventure tourism make it a preferred choice for Chinese visitors. He noted that infrastructure catering to Chinese tourists is rapidly developing in Pokhara.
