Nepal sees tourism rebound in October
Tourist arrivals surge 3.3% from last year and recover nearly 96% of pre-pandemic levels, as India, the U.S., and Europe drive Nepal’s post-COVID tourism revival.
Nepal experienced a satisfactory surge in tourist arrivals this October, with 128,443 international visitors, marking one of the strongest post-pandemic performances for the key autumn season, according to data released by the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB).
The figures represent a 3.3 percent increase compared to October 2023 and a staggering 95.8 percent recovery from the pre-pandemic levels of October 2019.
The robust arrival numbers come despite ongoing global travel concerns, including the so-called "Gen Z uprising" and broader economic uncertainties.
India remained the top source market for tourists, with 17,298 arrivals by air. However, the NTB data does not include the vast number of Indian nationals who enter Nepal via land borders without requiring formal documentation or being counted in the official tourist tally.
The United States was the second-largest contributor with 13,286 visitors, followed by the United Kingdom (8,718), China (6,755), Germany (6,366), and Australia (6,177).
Regionally, Europe provided the largest share of tourists with over 40,500 visitors, followed by South Asia (29,060) and other Asian nations (23,127).
The cumulative data for the first ten months of 2024 shows a total of 943,716 tourists have entered Nepal on tourist visas. India leads the annual ( Jan to Oct) tally with 243,350 visitors, followed by the United States (93,985) and China (78,929).
While the overall growth is strong, tourism entrepreneurs highlighted that the recovery of the Chinese market, which was a major driver of tourism before the pandemic, has not yet reached satisfactory levels.
The October numbers solidify the autumn season as Nepal's prime tourism period, signaling a strong rebound for the Himalayan nation's vital tourism industry.
