Nearly three months of its operation in Nepal, China Southern Airlines (CSA) is now focusing at promoting Nepal as an attractive tourist destination among outbound Chinese travelers, an official of the CSA said in Kathmandu Sunday.

"Although we are still a starter in the Nepali market, the initial three months have proved that we could market Nepal as an attractive destination among the Chinese tourists," Vincent Zhen, general manager of CSA Nepal Office, told Xinhua.

The airlines began its Nepal operation from February 5, connecting Nepali capital Kathmandu with Guangzhou City of China, twice a week on Mondays and Fridays.

"Over 1,100 Chinese passengers flew by China Southern on Guangzhou-Kathmandu route over the past three months. The trend is encouraging, which is a clear testimony that there still lies a huge potential to be tapped," Zhen said.

According to Zhen, during the upcoming golden-week from May 1, about 300-400 Chinese tourists will come to Nepal by CSA's Boeing-757 aircraft.

Although Nepal and China are close neighbors, Nepal's rich cultural heritage and biodiversity, south face of the majestic Himalayas and Nepali hospitality are still unknown among many Chinese, said Zhen, adding that Nepal has yet been properly promoted in China.

He points out that the promotion of Nepal in China, the fastest growing economy in the world, could significantly increase the inflow of Chinese tourists, benefiting both the tourism industry and the airlines.

"Keeping the growing trend in mind, CSA is ready to increase frequency to four flights a week or even daily," he added.

(Xinhua News Agency April 29, 2007)