Nepal and Thailand on Monday signed a long-awaited Air Services Agreement that will allow airlines from both countries to operate up to 22 flights a week from the current 7. At present, only specified airlines from both countries can operate with a limit on number of passengers. "There is now a ray of hope to not just meet the demand of tourists but also enhance the growth of the industry," said the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) in an ecstatic press release. Thai Airways International brought 40,000 touriss to Nepal in 2002, nearly 20 percent of the total. NTB is currently holding a tourism promo in Thailand and says the agreement will promote Bangkok as Kathmandu's tourism \'gateway'.