KATHMANDU, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Nepal has benefited from the remarkable development of neighboring China's Tibet Autonomous Region and especially in the tourism sector, a Nepalese business leader told Xinhua in a recent interview.

    "Thousands of tourists go to Tibet every year through Nepal, where easy and convenient transportation link across the border facilitates their travel," said Rajendra Nakarmi, general secretary of Nepal-China Executive Council (NCEC), a private business organization of the south Asian country.

Tibetan girls choose Nepalese accessories during a trade fair between China's Tibet Autonomous Region and Nepal at the Mt. Qomolangma Exhibition Center in Xigaze, in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Sep. 3, 2009. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Nepal can take the advantageous position to keep the passers-by stay longer in the country, where tourism serves the backbone of its economy, he said.

    Meanwhile, many Nepalese people have got jobs in Tibet thanks to the booming tourism industry there, Nakarmi said.

    "Whether it is a hotel, travel agency, restaurant or a consultancy, Nepali origin people have done a good job both for their living and for the tourism in Tibet as well," he said.

    In this sense, Tibet's development has been beneficial to Nepal, Nakarmi added.

    For Nakarmi, a regular visitor of China, the region has experienced remarkable development within decades while preserving its cultural and religious tradition.

    "Thanks to its fast development, Tibet, without destroying cultural and religious values, has become the best example of modernization achieved by China," Nakarmi said.

    "When we talk about cultural and religious preservation in Tibet, Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple are examples among others," he said. Both places are important religious sites in Lhasa, the capital of the Tibetan region.

    Talking about his trips to Tibet, Nakarmi said he used to go there with the aim of observing the development despite harsh geographical condition, and was curious about the changing lifestyle of local people.

    "The NCEC is doing its best from its corner by organizing exchange programs and participating in trade fairs. Recently, the NCEC has participated in Nepal-China Economic and Trade Fair 2009 in Tibet," said Nakarmi.

    "We participate in five to six trade fairs each year to promote Nepali goods in the Chinese market," he said.