Li Shuangcheng, director of the Confucius Institute at Kathmandu University, addresses the opening ceremony of a Chinese class for Nepalese journalists at the Confucius Institute in Lalitpur, Nepal, Dec. 16, 2024.  (Photo by Sulav Shrestha/Xinhua)

"A new blue ocean in China's tourism market is waiting to be explored by people with lofty ideals who can speak Chinese and understand the Chinese culture," a Chinese diplomat told the learners of a Chinese language training course in Nepal. 

With 40 learners presented certificates here on Monday from the sixth Chinese language training course, a total of 240 tourism professionals in Nepal have completed the training sessions.

These learners received the training under a six-month-long program organized by the Chinese Embassy in Nepal and co-organzied by the Nepal Tourism Board and the Nepal China Cultural and Educational Council.

As 2025 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Nepal and China and the year has been declared as Nepal Visit Year in China, Anuroj Shakya, one of the learners, voiced readiness to use his skills and advantages to help deepen bilateral cooperation in the cultural and tourism industry and jointly push Nepal-China friendship to a new height.

China has become the world's largest domestic tourism market and the main destination for international tourism, thereby having made positive contributions to revitalized global tourism, including in Nepal, noted Wang Xin, a counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Nepal.

"A new blue ocean in China's tourism market is waiting to be explored by people with lofty ideals who can speak Chinese and understand the Chinese culture," Wang told the learners at the closing ceremony of the Chinese language training course.

"I believe that the six-month training course for tourism professionals has increased the learners' skills and techniques as well as their understanding of the Chinese culture, including how to promote Nepal-China relations and Nepal-China tourism," said Ramkrishna Lamichhane, joint secretary at Nepal's ministry of culture, tourism and civil aviation.