Kathmandu, November 3:

It’ time for a tourism renaissance-cum-revival. Mystical mountains and the serene atmosphere of Nepal - after a decade long conflict - have started luring tourists here again. In October alone, more than half-a-lakh tourists came - the single largest arrival volume in a month since eight years.

According to the arrival figures gleaned by the Immigration Office, Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), in October tourist arrivals witnessed a rise by 16.3 per cent to 50,567 tourists,

the highest in a single month since 2000.

The total number of visitors till October reached 3,07,748, representing an increase of four per cent in comparison to the same period last year.

South Asian nations registered overall positive growth of 26.3 per cent, with Bangladesh and Pakistan registering arrival growth by 73.9 per cent and 35.3 per cent respectively, except for arrivals from Sri Lanka which decreased by 5.9 per cent.

India, the largest tourist generating market for Nepal, maintained a steady growth of 14 per cent in October also.

Other Asian countries — Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia and China — maintained

the upward trend with 150.4 per cent, 53.2 per cent, 24.4 per cent, 23.2 per cent and 1.6 percent, of growth respectively.

However, arrivals from Japan — one of the major markets — witnessed negative growth in arrival figures by 10.9 per cent.

UK, Israel, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland and Sweden also maintained the upward trend in arrival figures.

Arrivals from the United States of America and Canada also increased in October in comparison to the same month last year.

“Italy and Spain registered a decrease in arrival figures by 13.2 per cent and 7.5 per cent, respectively,” according to the figures.

A total of 49,150 tourists — against 50,567 arrivals — departed via Tribhuvan International Airport in October.