Tourist arrivals up by 28.9% in March

KATHMANDU: KATHMANDU: Tourist arrivals to Nepal via air in March increased by 28.9% to 128,167.

According to the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), 28,739 more foreign tourists came to Nepal in the third month of 2024 compared to the same month last year.

With this, the total tourist footfalls in the first three months of 2024 have reached 304,693. March marks the beginning of the spring tourism season in the country. Spring is the time when most of Nepal’s high mountains, including Mt. Everest, see an influx of climbers.

India was the largest source market for Nepal in the review month, with 30,698 arrivals, followed by China and the US with 12,093 and 10,763 visitors, respectively. The UK, Sri Lanka, Germany, Thailand, France, and Myanmar also contributed significant arrivals during the month.

Region-wise, Asia (SAARC) contributed the highest number of visitors in March, accounting for 31.8% of total arrivals. Similarly, Asia (Others) was next, contributing 22.4% of total arrivals, followed by Europe (21.5%), Oceania (4.8%), the Americas (9.8%), and Others (9.7%).

Nepal welcomed 79,100 visitors in January, while it received 97,426 foreign visitors in February.