KATHMANDU: Nepal enjoyed sustained positive growth in international visitor arrivals since June 2009 and the trend continues even in 2010.

Figures released by Immigration Office, Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), show that visitor arrivals in January 2010, compared to last January, increased by 18.8 per cent to 26,071.

Every region showed positive growth in January 2010. India recorded positive growth of 9.9 per cent. In the SAARC region, arrivals from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka registered positive growth by 43.3, 37.3 and 9.9 per cent, respectively. In aggregate, the South Asian segment registered a positive growth of 15.6 per cent.

Arrivals from Asia (other than South Asia) also showed positive growth in aggregate but countrywise the region showed mixed performance. Arrivals from Japan, Malaysia and South Korea had positive growth by 19.5, 57.2 and 87.2 per cent, respectively. However, China, Thailand and Singapore had negative growth of 18.3, 25.1 and 3.2 per cent, respectively.

Overall positive growth of 34.9 per cent showed from European markets with arrivals from major markets such as the UK, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland up by 12.6, 17, 25.8, 40.9, 92.2, 62.4 and 5.8 per cent, respectively.

Arrivals from Australia, Canada and the USA also showed good growth of 17.5, 69.2 and 10.2 per cent, respectively.

This sustained positive growth in tourist arrivals will undoubtedly be effective in turning Nepal Tourism Year 2011 into a grand success.