KATHMANDU: The Nepal Tourism Board reports that tourist arrivals in 10 months from January to November in 2018 has crossed one million with 1,001,930 arrivals, an cumulative increase of 17 per cent over the same period in 2017. According to the Board, the consistent and upward momentum continued through the peak tourist season during October and November 2018 without accounting for overland international visitors. If the visitors who entered Nepal via land are accounted for, the figures when compared to 2017 would suggest a 23 per cent hike in number of tourists, the Board said in a statement. The total arrivals of Indian visitors in January-November period stood at 260,124 while Chinese tourist arrivals reached 134,362 along with a significant rise in number of tourists from Thailand, Japan and South Korea. European arrivals have also surged with healthy growths in key markets with the total number of arrivals so far in 2018 at 224,206. Likewise total number of visitors from US was recorded at 82,870 while the number of Australians visiting Nepal in 11 months of 2018 stood at 33,528. According to Deepak Raj Joshi, Chief Executive Officer of Nepal Tourism Board, image of Nepal as one of the most preferred tourist destinations has been reinforced as reflected in the extraordinary growth in the visitor arrivals to Nepal. “The growth can be attributed to concerted efforts of Government of Nepal, Nepal Tourism Board, private sector travel trade and media towards promotion of overall tourism sector in the international tourism arena,” Joshi said.