Nepal experiences surge in tourism with 800,000 foreign visitors in 2023’s first nine months

KATHANDU: During the first nine months of 2023, Nepal has witnessed an influx of approximately 800,000 international tourists.

According to data released by the Nepal Tourism Board, which references the Department of Immigration, a grand total of 782,372 visitors arrived in Nepal via air travel between January and September this year.

In September alone, Nepal hosted a remarkable 91,012 tourists, marking a substantial increase from the 58,314 arrivals during the same period last year. To provide context, in 2019, Nepal had welcomed 92,604 tourists.

The Nepal Tourism Board anticipates a continuous rise in foreign tourist arrivals in the upcoming months, as the tourist season has recently commenced in Nepal. Mani Raj Lamichhane, the board’s director, expressed confidence that the nation would comfortably reach its 2023 target, which is set at one million foreign tourists.

Breaking down the September statistics, Nepal welcomed 28,642 tourists from India, followed by 8,174 visitors from China, 7,364 from the United States, and 3,716 tourists from Bangladesh.

Additionally, 3,685 tourists arrived from Australia, 3,640 from the United Kingdom, 3,111 from Sri Lanka, 2,852 from Germany, 2,018 from South Korea, and 1,734 from Israel during the review month.