Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Nepal welcomed 102,626 international tourists in May 2026, 19.03% more than the same month last year.
A total of 86,216 arrivals were recorded in the same month last year, according to data released by the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB).
The strong performance came as the country’s peak trekking and mountaineering season drew to a close ahead of the monsoon months of June, July and August.
With the latest figures, total international visitor arrivals during the first five months of 2026 have reached 529,090. This marks 5.6% growth over the 501,264 arrivals recorded during the same period in 2025.
According to the NTB, arrivals in May surpassed pre-pandemic arrivals by 31%. A total of 78,329 foreign tourists visited the country in the same month of 2019, which is considered the best year for the country’s tourism industry, with 1,197,191 arrivals.
India remained Nepal’s largest source market in May as well, accounting for 40,782 visitors, or 39.74% of total arrivals. China ranked second with 11,514 visitors, followed by the United States with 9,001 arrivals. Bangladesh and the United Kingdom were the other important source markets with 5,298 and 3,375 visitors, respectively.
South Asian countries contributed the largest share of arrivals at 47.2%, followed by other Asian countries at 19.9%. Europe accounted for 13.1% of total visitors in May, while the Americas contributed 10.3%. Other regions included Oceania (3.1%), the Middle East (1.5%) and Africa (0.3%).
According to the NTB, the encouraging figures reflect growing global confidence in Nepal as a tourism destination and support ongoing efforts to position the country as a “Lifetime Experience Destination.”
Tourist arrivals remained above the 100,000 mark for the fourth consecutive month this year. The country received 92,573 international visitors in January, 105,441 in February, 120,516 in March, 107,934 in April and 102,626 in May.
