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| Kathmandu, Sunday November 23, 2003 Mangshir 07, 2060. |
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Competitive prices, better promos can lure
Chinese tourists
BY SATYENDRA TIMILSINA
KUNMING, China, Nov 22 - At a time when the Nepali tourism
entrepreneurs are expecting tourists from regional tourism markets, Chinese tour operators
say Nepal can attract a good number of Chinese nationals, but only with better promotion
and competitive prices.
The Chinese government has approved Nepal as an outbound
travel destination for its people, but just a few know about it, says Zhao Hui, Vice
General Manager of Outbound Department of the China International Travel Service (CITS)
Chinese Citizen Travel Service.
"Nepal’s marketing efforts has not been
satisfactory and effective," he says adding that marketing should be carried out
massively, especially because the number of approved outbound destinations for Chinese
travellers is increasing.
So far, the Chinese government has approved 29 countries and
regions as its outbound tourism destinations for its people. China has also opened 15
tourism offices outside China and is preparing to open one similar office in New Delhi
shortly. CITS had sent some tourist groups to Nepal earlier this year.
Most of the Chinese groups come to Nepal on long holidays
during National Day (October 1st), May Day (May 1st) and Spring Festival (during
January-February).
Those who have returned from Nepal tour have praised Nepal
for the quality of tour and services, says Wang Yu, Manager at China International Travel
Service, Beijing - China’s biggest travel agency for both inbound and outbound
tourists.
"However, many Chinese do not prefer going Nepal because
of higher tour-cost and limited air accessibility," he adds. Nepal has a limited
air-traffic with China and at the same time, the cost is much higher compared to its
nearby tourism destinations, he says.
According to Yu, an eight-day tour to Nepal costs 10,800
yuan.
But the cost of the similar trip to Korea is just 5,000 yuan,
and to Thailand is 3,000 yuan. Other nearby countries like Singapore and Malaysia are also
selling their respective tour packages at relatively lower prices.
Currently, Nepal’s tour operators are organizing a
weeklong Chinese tour package at a minimum of yuan 2,050 and the two-way air ticket
between Kathmandu to Shanghai is at 5,330 yuan.
"When Chinese people are getting much cheaper tourism
packages, it is hard to convince them to travel to Nepal," he says, adding that they
are now offering a 15-day package to 10 European countries at just twice the price of
Nepal.
CITS-Beijing had to cancel their Chinese group to Nepal last
May due to SARS. And now the company is planning to sell Nepal along with other tourism
destinations.
"We are working out to promote Nepal jointly with India
or Thailand," Yu says.
Limited air link with China is another bottleneck for Nepali
tourism market, says Zhu Xiao Lei, of the Outbound Travel Centre of Kunming China
International Travel Service.
Two Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC) flights in
Kathmandu-Shanghai sector every week join Nepal with Mainland China.
In addition to it, Air China operates one flight a week from
Kathmandu to Lhasha. Other Chinese say there is a higher prospect of exploring Nepal’s
religious tourism potential.
"Nepal should focus on attracting Buddhist monks from
China and promote Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Gautam Buddha, as its prime
destination," they say.
A number of Chinese tour operators suggest promoting Nepal’s
and India’s Buddhist shrines jointly. They even urged for constructing Buddhist
pilgrimage circuit linking Indian shrines of Sarnath, Bodhgaya and Kashinagar with
Lumbini.
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