Kathmandu: In October 2023, Nepal reached a significant milestone in its tourism sector, with a remarkable surge in visitor numbers. Data from the Immigration Department reveals that Nepal hosted a total of 117,306 tourists during the month, as confirmed by the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB). This figure sets a new record for the highest number of tourists arriving in Nepal in a single month.
NTB Director Maniraj Lamichhane pointed out that this surpasses the previous record set in October 2019 when 113,000 tourists visited Nepal. The increase in arrivals can be attributed in part to non-resident Nepalis visiting the country during this period, who are counted as tourists upon their visit.
Tourism industry professionals have reported that a majority of tourists come from neighboring countries like India, Bangladesh, China, and Sri Lanka. However, a significant number of non-resident Nepalis, particularly those from the United States and Europe, also contribute to the rising numbers.
According to the Nepal Tourism Board, in October 2022, 52,121 tourists visited Nepal, while the numbers were 15,715 in 2021 and 1,831 in 2020. In October 2023, the highest number of tourists, 18,480, came from India, followed by Americans with 14,879 visitors. British tourists were the third largest group with 8,217 arrivals. Additionally, 6,880 tourists arrived from China, 6,075 from Australia, 5,916 from Germany, 5,271 from France, 4,292 from Bangladesh, 2,507 from Sri Lanka, and 2,67 from Italy.
In the first ten months of 2023, Nepal has welcomed over 800,000 tourists, as reported by the Nepal Tourism Board, with a total of 809,678 visitors arriving between January and October.