Chinese tourism to Nepal plummets after protests spark ‘mass cancellations’

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By Ralph Jennings

Published September 19, 2025

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.

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.

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”.

The unrest in Nepal began on September 8 as people took to the streets to protest against corruption, nepotism and restrictions on social media, according to United Nations reports. The protesters eventually stormed and torched the Supreme Court, parliament building and government offices.

Nepali Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli resigned soon after, with former Chief Justice Sushila Karki stepping in as interim leader on September 12. More than 70 people died during the protests, according to news reports.

The Chinese Embassy in Nepal warned Chinese nationals and organisations in the country to step up safety precautions on the opening day of the protests.

Nepal had been emerging as a popular destination among cost-conscious Chinese tourists, who were drawn to the country’s hiking routes and Buddhist landmarks, travel analysts said.

The country was also well connected with China. Air routes between Nepal and several Chinese cities allowed tourists to reach Kathmandu in four to five hours. There are also a pair of road crossings at the border.

Chinese arrivals in Nepal soared by 67 per cent year on year in 2024 to reach 101,879, according to the Nepali Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The situation on the ground in Nepal is now “back to normal”, Arlt said, and the Nepal Tourism Board has already issued statements inviting foreign tourists to return. Whether travellers heed that call remains to be seen.