KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 5

Nepal has witnessed a substantial increase in foreign tourist arrivals in 2024, with 940,732 visitors recorded over the first 10 months of the current fiscal year 2024/25, according to the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB).

In October alone, 124,393 tourists arrived, marking a 6.4% rise compared to the same month last fiscal year, when 117,306 tourists visited. The pre-COVID figures from October 2019 showed 134,096 arrivals. The NTB attributes this increase to the gradual recovery of the tourism sector following the pandemic.

Maniraj Lamichhane, NTB Director, expressed optimism about the upward trend. Despite the disruptions caused by heavy rainfall and disasters in late September, we anticipate further growth in the coming months, informed Lamichhane.

While overall foreign arrivals surged, the number of tourists from neighboring India and China saw a decline in recent months. Indian tourist numbers fell by 13% in October compared to September, with 16,313 visitors in October, down from 22,984 the previous month. A similar decline was noted in August, with 25,832 arrivals. Chinese tourist numbers also dropped, with 7,750 visitors in October, compared to 8,042 in September and 6,614 in August. These drops are attributed to monsoon-related disruptions.

Conversely, Nepal recorded a notable increase in American tourists, with October seeing a 12.88% rise. In October, 16,023 Americans visited, up from 10,084 in September. Other arrivals included 8,019 from the UK, 6,929 from Australia, 6,018 from Germany, and 5,485 from France. Additional arrivals were seen from Bangladesh (4,476), Sri Lanka (3,112), and Italy (2,635).

The NTB reported that March recorded the highest arrivals this year at 128,167, while July saw the lowest with 64,599.