Nepal tourism again started blooming
According to the Nepal Tourism Board foreign tourist arrivals in Nepal increased significantly in 2024, with 940,732 visitors. In October 124,393 tourists arrived, representing a 6.4% increase over the same month last fiscal year when 117,306 tourists visited. The pre-COVID numbers for October 2019 revealed 134,096 arrivals. The NTB credits this gain to the slow revival of the tourism industry following the pandemic. NTB Director Maniraj Lamichhane expressed optimism about the improving trend.
While overall foreign arrivals increased, the number of tourists from neighboring India and China fell in recent months. Indian tourist numbers declined 13% in October compared to September. A similar reduction was observed in August, with 25,832 arrivals. Chinese tourism numbers also fell, with 7,750 visitors in October. These decreases are due to monsoon-related interruptions. Nepal experienced a significant increase in American tourists, with a 12.88% surge. In October, 16,023 Americans visited, an increase from 10,084 in September. Other arrivals included 8,019 from the United Kingdom, 6,929 from Australia, 6,018 from Germany, and 5,485 from France. Additional arrivals were seen from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Italy.
