Kathmandu: According to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, tourists in Nepal reported 532 incidents to the police within a year. Among these reports, 345 involved the loss of various belongings, while 82 were related to theft.
The ministry’s data also reveals that 33 incidents were related to fraud, 28 to harassment, and 13 to robbery. Additionally, threats were reported in five cases, while four incidents involved tourists losing their documents. Furthermore, two accidents, two cases of pickpocketing, and one abduction were also registered with the police.
This year, Nepal saw the arrival of 1,014,000 tourists. Such incidents and reports of theft have been more prevalent since 2019, despite a significant increase in tourist arrivals during that year. In 2020, 540 incidents were reported, followed by 79 in 2021 and 180 in 2022, according to ministry statistics.
Most of the individuals filing reports are from India, with 70 incidents recorded. They are followed by Chinese nationals with 65 incidents, Americans with 46, British with 41, French with 28, Australians with 26, and Germans with 20 incidents. Out of the total incidents reported, 172 involved female tourists.