Fiscal Nepal
First Business News Portal in English from Nepal
KATHMANDU: Nepal’s tourism industry continued its strong recovery in June 2026, with the country welcoming 91,363 foreign tourists by air, marking a 19.5 percent year-on-year increase and surpassing pre-pandemic arrival levels.
According to immigration data released by the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) based on records from the Department of Immigration, international tourist arrivals reached 91,363 in June, up from 76,425 visitors recorded during the same month in 2025.
The latest figure also exceeded the 74,883 arrivals recorded in June 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global travel, representing a 22.01 percent increase over the pre-pandemic benchmark.
South Asian countries continued to dominate Nepal’s inbound tourism market during June.
A total of 48,254 visitors arrived from SAARC member countries, accounting for 52.8 percent of all international arrivals.
India remained Nepal’s largest single source market, contributing 41,809 visitors, underscoring the importance of cross-border tourism, religious travel, business visits, and leisure tourism between the two neighboring countries.
Excluding SAARC countries, Nepal received 16,152 visitors from other Asian markets, representing 17.68 percent of total arrivals.
Among major Asian source markets:
The continued recovery in arrivals from China and East Asia reflects improving international air connectivity and renewed travel demand following the reopening of regional tourism markets.
European countries contributed 13,119 tourists during June.
The leading European source markets were:
European travelers remain one of Nepal’s most valuable visitor segments, particularly for trekking, mountaineering, adventure tourism, cultural experiences, and long-stay holidays.
The Americas accounted for 6,954 visitors, representing 7.61 percent of total international arrivals.
The regional breakdown includes:
The United States continues to rank among Nepal’s largest long-haul tourism markets, with visitors primarily drawn to trekking, mountaineering, wildlife, Buddhist heritage, and cultural tourism.
Tourist arrivals from Oceania reached 3,090, representing one of the strongest growth rates among all regions.
The figure is:
The regional total included:
Meanwhile, Nepal also welcomed 674 visitors from Africa and 292 from the Middle East during the month.
According to Santosh Bikram Thapa, Senior Officer at the Nepal Tourism Board, Nepal’s steady rise in international visitor arrivals has been supported by expanding international air connectivity, sustained tourism promotion campaigns, stronger marketing efforts in key source markets, and Nepal’s growing reputation as a safe and attractive travel destination.
The board said it plans to intensify promotional activities ahead of the upcoming peak tourism season, targeting priority markets including India, China, the United States, and Europe to further boost visitor arrivals.
The continued growth in international arrivals is expected to provide further momentum to Nepal’s tourism-dependent economy, benefiting airlines, hotels, trekking agencies, restaurants, transport operators, guides, and other tourism-related businesses.
With visitor numbers now consistently exceeding pre-pandemic levels in several months, the tourism sector is increasingly reinforcing its role as one of Nepal’s key sources of foreign exchange earnings, employment generation, and economic growth.
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