China and Nepal are bearing favorable exchange and cooperation in tourism, the executive director of China National Tourist Office Kathmandu told Xinhua Tuesday.

"China and Nepal are close neighbors sharing long-term friendship. The coming August will witness the golden jubilee of the establishment of China-Nepal diplomatic relations, and China-Nepal tourism cooperation also has written down a good history, and will write down a brighter future as well," Ma Yili, the executive director of China National Tourist Office Kathmandu, told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.

As the tourism resources of both China and Nepal are mutually complementary, cooperation becomes the objective requirement for both sides, Ma said.

Enriched with natural beauties, unique cultures and as many as 10 World Natural and Cultural Heritages, Nepal became renowned as a tourism destination around the globe. China is a great country abundant of tourism resources, 31 of which have been listed in World Natural and Cultural Heritages lists. On May 19, 2005, World Tourism Organization has announced Top Ten of the destination countries, on which China was ranked 4th. Tibet Autonomous Region of China, a close neighbor of Nepal, also renowned as "the Roof of the World".

June to September each year is the off-season (rain season) in Nepal. On the contrary, April to October each year is the peak season in Tibet. "Therefore, China and Nepal shall further cooperate and jointly organize promotion campaign to get advantage complemented and resource shared," Ma said.

Meanwhile, "China and Nepal are both of tremendous market potential, and cooperation in the field of tourism is the subjective demand of each side," Ma said.

In 2004, international tourists in Nepal reached 370,000, but only 20,000 of whom have visited Tibet and inland China, covering 7 percent of the total amount. Obviously, there lies a big potential in the outbound market from Nepal to China. In the same year, the number of Chinese outbound tourists reached 28.85 million, only 5,799 of them have visited Nepal by air. Apparently, in order to develop potential markets of both countries, cooperation is the subjective demand of both sides, according to Ma.

Ma also emphasized to full play the initiative of both governments, which is the guarantee to enhance further cooperation.

Nowadays, tourism industry has become one of the most important industries of the global economy. In Nepal, it also plays a vital role in economic development, and it is of comparatively advantage in the national economy. Nepal is endeavoring to position itself as a tourism destination, and it is distinctly expressed in the 10th Five-year Plan (2002-2007) of Nepal, "by re-positioning Nepal as an international tourism destination country, we should keep in mind that tourism industry is the pillar of national economy."

Since the adoption of reform and open-up policy in 1978, the Chinese government has attached great importance to the tourism industry, constituted a series of plan and policy, and achieved surprising success. The signing of "Memorandum of Understanding on Tourism Cooperation" on Apr. 16, 2001 is an important measure taken by both governments which proved to have effectively guaranteed the close cooperation by both sides, Ma said.

"To further cooperate and mutually benefit, we should enhance mutual understanding firstly. Although being close neighbors, China and Nepal are yet different in social institution, ideology, law as well as folk custom, thinking method, life style and formalities. Therefore, to cooperate is to understand each other first," Ma said.

"Meanwhile, there should be practical programs in strengthening cooperation." he added.

(Xinhua News Agency July 20, 2005)