Kathmandu, Aug. 19 -- In 2013, the release of the Chinese movie Up in the Wind sparked an unexpected surge of interest in Nepal among Chinese travellers. Filmed in Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Chitwan, the movie presented Nepal's landscapes and cultural richness on the big screen, igniting a wave of arrivals, particularly to Pokhara in the Annapurna foothills.

That year, Chinese tourist numbers crossed the six-digit mark for the first time, mainly because a single piece of visual storytelling captured imaginations. The trend revealed a profound shift in how travellers seek inspiration. Selfies and casual snapshots were no longer enough; people truly wanted an authentic story, told with care and emotion.

A decade later, the medium of travel i...