Chinese Familiarization Trip Media Team, “Best Season to Come Back …Beautiful Memories in Nepal,” Says “Weibo Queen”, ChinaMonday, December 28th, 2015
KATHMANDU, Nepal, Dec. 2, 2015 - Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) in coordination with the World Bank Group (IFC) conducted an interaction session with a 9-member familiarization trip media team from China, in Kathmandu on Dec. 2, 2015. The Chinese media team also included actress and entrepreneur Ms. Amy Zhou, with about 300,000 fan following on Chinese social media sites and also known as “Weibo Queen”.
Officiating Director of NTB Mr. Sunil Sharma, appreciated the visit noting that the visit was special as it coincided with the 60th anniversary year of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Nepal and China, and expressed his hope that such promotional endeavors would increase the Chinese tourist arrivals to Nepal in the coming days.
Similarly, Mr. Taneem Ahad, Project Manager from World Bank Group, spoke to the group emphasizing the importance of their presence in Nepal in the present context with the hope that the participants would disseminate fact-based positive information about Nepal in China and be the first of the mediators in bringing back Chinese tourists to Nepal after the 25/4 earthquake.
Government officials, representative from the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Nepal, members from the private sector who had participated in the China International Travel Mart (CITM) 2015, representatives from the media, entrepreneurs and NTB officials were also present at the luncheon event, which was held as a concluding session for the familiarization trip.
Earlier, the team visited different tourist sites in Kathmandu valley, Pokhara, Bandipur and Chitwan. Members of the group expressed deep satisfaction emphasizing that the impressions they carried before they landed in Kathmandu did not match up to the amazing natural and cultural experience they had visiting the four different places, each on a league of its own.
“We thought the country was paralyzed, but everything is normal here,” said “Weibo Queen” Ms. Zhou. She said, she agreed to her tour guide who had said only certain sections of heritage sites had been destroyed. With documentation, skill and resource intact, all of the heritage sites would be built within a few months was her hope. “But even though few of the tangible heritage monuments are destroyed for a while, the intangible heritage of the spirit and the people will live forever,” she said.
Ms. Zhou said she also enjoyed the beautiful autumn weather of the Himalayan country with crisp, clear skies and warm afternoons. “This is the best season to come back to Nepal. I have made beautiful memories for life,” she said
The familiarization trip from Nov. 26-Dec. 2, 2015, was organized by the World Bank Group (IFC) in coordination with NTB, as a part of the IFC tourism recovery program to revitalize Chinese tourist arrivals in Nepal.