China’s Modes of Engagement in Nepal’s Tourism and Heritage Sector

Abstract

China’s involvement in Nepal’s tourism sector has grown significantly in recent years. Informed by the Belt and Road Initiative and capitalising on its increased economic influence, China has solidified its tourism partnership with Nepal through its engagement with both hard and soft infrastructure projects in Nepal. In this paper, I examine China’s engagement with Nepal’s tourism sector through an examination of the tools, instruments, and channels it deploys to pursue its interests and what that means for Nepal. The paper relies on both primary and secondary data collected over the last five years with various tourism and heritage stakeholders in Nepal. The paper finds that while the growth of Chinese tourism in Nepal diversifies Nepal’s tourism and eases Nepal’s over-reliance on tourists coming from south of the border, this also presents a challenge in that it introduces vulnerabilities as China’s diplomacy in other world regions has used its tourism dominance to exert political and other pressures. Additionally, China’s growing influence could shift the geopolitical balance in South Asia, and Nepal must align its tourism ambitions with national interests that will help affirm regional stability and long-term resilience.