In 2023, after three years of border restrictions following the Covid-19 pandemic, the Chinese authorities reopened the Nepal-China border. The reopening brought much-needed relief to the tourism industry, which was on the verge of collapse, as the Nepali side expected a massive influx of Indian tourists to the holy Kailash Mansarovar through Nepal.

However, tourism entrepreneurs, especially those in travel agency business, were utterly disappointed as Beijing introduced stringent policies, which, they say, were aimed at limiting the footfall of Indian tourists. In April, 2023, China announced that it would only allow Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), but not Indian citizens, to the Kailash-Mansarovar region. Despite this, the inflow of Indian tourists visiting Nepal broke records in 2023, much to the surprise of Nepali travel agents. Thanks to Beijing’s policies, Indian tourists, cancelling their Kailash Mansarovar packages, visited Muktinath and Lumbini - the birthplace of Lord Buddha, say travel agency operators. Both holy sites are sacred in both Hindu and Buddhist religions.

In 2023, the inflow of Indian tourists to Nepal crossed the 300,000 mark - the highest in the history of Nepal. In the first four months of 2024, the number stands at 186,696 - an increase of 11.39% compared to the corresponding period in 2023. Tourism stakeholders say the inflow of Indian tourists is expected to surpass previous records this year as well. According to Laxman Subedi, president of the Paschimanchal Hotel Association Pokhara (PHAP), they have seen a big uptick in the number of Indian tourists visiting Muktinath lately. “Last year, daily arrivals of Indian tourists to Pokhara were in the hundreds. This year it has increased to 1,000-2,000 per day with the majority travelling to Muktinath. The number is increasing, and we are expecting more tourists in the coming days,” he added.

The diamond-shaped Mt Kailas, standing at 6,638 metres above sea level, is a granite peak venerated by Hindus as the home of Lord Shiva, his consort Parvati and son Lord Ganesh. It holds significant spiritual importance for Buddhists as well. The glaciers of Mt Kailas supply water to Lake Mansarovar, situated at 4,590 metres, where pilgrims from both religions perform ritual baths for spiritual purification. Ever since the restrictions to travel to China were introduced, Hindus from India have opted for alternative pilgrimage routes, especially the holy site of Muktinath. Muktinath, sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists, is located in the Muktinath Valley at the foot of the Thorong La mountain pass in Mustang. Located at 3,800 metres from the sea level, it is one of the world's highest temples.

Tour operators say this year will once again set new records in terms of Indian arrivals. Nepal has the potential to position itself as an ideal holy tourist destination as its southern neighbour is home to 1.1 billion Hindus. The holy sites of Muktinath, Pashupatinath, Lumbini, Swargadwari and Janaki Temple hold equal significance for Indians as well.

According to Mani Raj Lamichhane, director of the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), the government has been organising several promotional events in Indian border towns to showcase Nepal’s attractions. “We have organised events in Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and New Delhi. The NTB has also been inviting travel vloggers to Nepal, and tour operators, too, have played a significant role in bringing more tourists,” he added. Lamichhane says Nepal must recognise its potentials and opportunities as India has emerged as the fifth strongest economy in the world, and Indian travellers can spend a lot.

The recent statement by India’s Minister for External Affairs, S Jaishankar, encouraging travellers to explore both mountains and seas, has made a positive impact on Nepali tourism, travel trade people say. Nepal’s holy sites are not new destinations for Indians. Every year, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims visit the holy Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu. The Muktinath Temple in Mustang was flooded with Indian pilgrims after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited and offered worship in the sacred temple in 2018. Likewise, the Janaki Temple became a hot cake for Indians after Modi’s visit.

With the Kailash-Mansarovar region shut for the Indian pilgrims, Shree Airlines saw potential for an aerial tour of the Kailash-Mansarovar region from the Nepali airspace. The journey starts from Nepalgunj which lies just four kilometres from Nepal-India border town of Rupaidiha, Uttar Pradesh. Shree Airlines flies for 10 minutes at an altitude of 27,000 feet, allowing passengers seated on the left side of the plane to enjoy the view of Mt Kailash and Lake Mansarovar. The aircraft then provides another 10 minutes of sightseeing for passengers seated on the right side of the plane.

For Indian tourists, the flight has been a blessing as they do not need Chinese permits to worship the holy sites. They can make a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to the holiest places in just an hour. The aerial tour was made possible with the joint initiative of Shree Airlines, Siddhartha Hospitality Group, and Temple Trip Group of India. Since January, Siddhartha Hospitality has received over 1,000 tourists, especially Indians, coming for the Kailash flight. “The aerial tour has transformed Nepalgunj into a vibrant tourist destination. The average stay is two nights. Likewise, guests are spending an average of Rs 50,000 on average for the entire trip,” said Keshav Neupane, board director of Siddhartha Business Group of Hospitality. “By next year, hotels in Nepalgunj are expected to have demand for an additional 10,000 rooms.” Although flights are unavailable in June and July due to the monsoon season, Siddhartha Group is inundated with inquiries for August. “From Nepalgunj, Indian tourists also travel to the national parks in Bardiya and Banke as well as to Rara and Phoksundo lakes, and the holy Swargadwari Temple,” Neupane added. Shree Airlines offers charter flights with 35 window seats for Rs 900,000. The aircraft used for these charters are Bombardier CRJ200 and CRJ700 models.

“Although the number of flights is limited, they have helped increase our revenue by 1-3%,” Anil Manandhar, corporate manager of Shree Airlines, said. “Currently, we are operating the Kailash-Mansarovar aerial tour on a chartered basis, and the inquiries have been amazing. There will be regular flights soon, as the demand is really high,” he added. When China was allowing Indian nationals to Tibet before the COVID-19, Nepali tour operators were taking Indian pilgrims to the Kailash-Mansarovar region via three routes - Tatopati in Sindhupalchowk, Rasuwagadhi in Rasuwa, and Simikot in Humla. Pilgrims would take a holy dip in the Mansarovar Lake and circumambulate the holy mountain.

“Since aerial tour flight does not offer this opportunity, we aim to promote the Karnali River, which carries water from Mansarovar, among the pilgrims. This addition is expected to further increase the length of stay of Indian pilgrims,” said Neupane. Before COVID restrictions kicked in, as many as 20,000 tourists used to visit Kailash Mansarovar via Nepal. As per media reports, geopolitical issues are behind China’s decision to bar Indian pilgrims from visiting the Kailash-Mansarovar region. The conflict between India and China on the Himalayan border remains unresolved as Beijing has been deploying a large number of troops and military equipment along India's northern borders.

Nepal welcomed 583,016 tourists in the first half of 2024. Data shows 32% of them, or 186,696, were from India. The number does not include visitors entering the country via land routes. Before the COVID pandemic, approximately 16-20% of total visitors arriving by air were Indians. This surged to as high as 50% percent during the pandemic and has since stabilised at around 30-32%. The visa-free access has made Nepal an attractive international destination for Indian visitors. The ‘Garmi Se Behal Chalo Nepal’, which translates into if you want to escape the heat then take a trip to Nepal, campaign has been instrumental in increasing the number of Indian tourists to Nepal. According to Lamichhane, Bollywood film Uchai, which was shot in the Nepal Himalayas, has also helped promote Nepal among young Indians.

(The report was originally published on the August 2024 issue of the New Business Age magazine.)