Tourist arrivals up 17.9% in nine months

KATHMANDU: Tourist arrivals to Nepal via air over the first nine months of 2024 increased by 17.9% to 816,639. Nepal had welcomed 692,372 tourists during the same period in 2023.

According to the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), Nepal welcomed 96,305 tourists via air in September, marking a growth of 5.8% compared to total arrivals in September last year.

India, the largest tourism market for Nepal, accounted for 23.9% of total tourist arrivals in September. Data compiled by the Department of Immigration shows 22,984 Indian tourists entered the country via air—down by 19.9% compared to the same month last year when 28,694 Indians had visited Nepal.

The USA was next with 10,084 arrivals in September, followed by China (8,042), Australia (5,038), and Sri Lanka (4,915).

Region-wise, SAARC contributed 34.9% of total tourist arrivals in September. A total of 33,611 tourists from the region visited Nepal during the month—8.8% lower compared to 36,852 in September last year.

Arrivals from Europe, on the other hand, increased by 12% to 17,104. Europe contributed 17.8% of total tourist arrivals to Nepal during the month. Likewise, arrivals from Oceania, the Americas, and the Middle East were also up by 33.5%, 36.3%, and 7.6%, respectively, in September.

Nepal welcomed 1,014,885 visitors in 2023, which was lower than pre-COVID levels. Total tourist arrivals to Nepal reached an all-time high of 1,197,191 in 2019.