Nepal Tourism : March 2024 Sees Significant Increase in Tourists

In March 2024, 128,167 tourists visited Nepal, according to the Nepal Tourism Board. The arrival of tourists from India remained consistent while there has been an encouraging increase in tourist arrivals from China. In March 2023, 99,426 tourists had arrived. Compared to last year, there has been a 28.9% increase in tourist arrivals this year.

The tourist season in Nepal typically starts in February, peaks in March and April, and then gradually decreases. After that, the monsoon season begins, resulting in a slight decrease in arrivals.

According to the board, 30,698 tourists arrived from India in March. This is an increase of 18.5% compared to the same period last year. Chinese arrivals reached 12,092, marking a significant increase of 358% compared to the previous year when 2,635 Chinese tourists visited. In third place is the United States, with 10,763 arrivals, followed by the United Kingdom with 7,241 arrivals, as the Nepal Tourism Board reported.

Similarly, from Sri Lanka, 5,741 tourists arrived, from Germany 5,255, from Thailand 4,567, from Australia 3,240, and from Myanmar 3,031 tourists arrived. This year, 97,426 tourists arrived in February and 79,100 in January. According to this, 3,46,693 tourists arrived in three months. On average, more than 1 lakh tourists arrive monthly.

Overview of Recent Tourist Numbers in Nepal:

Mount Everest, standing at 8,848.88 meters above sea level, is Nepal's iconic peak drawing adventure enthusiasts and ecotourists. The country boasts religious sites like Lumbini, Buddha's birthplace. Tourism, pivotal for Nepal's economy, aims to combat poverty and enhance social equity, generating $471 million annually.

In 2019, Nepal witnessed a 2.1% growth rate in foreign tourist arrivals, totaling 1,197,191 visitors compared to 1,173,072 in 2018. Initiatives like Nepal Tourism Year 2011 and Lumbini Tourism Year 2012 were launched, while Visit Nepal 2020 aimed for two million tourists by that year's end.

But in 2020 the tourism industry was affected due to COVID-19 all around the world and Nepal was also not untouched by that. Only 230,085 tourists could visit Nepal in 2020. In 2021 too, tourist arrivals continued to be affected by the pandemic, with only 150,962 foreign tourists visiting Nepal.

However in 2022, due to the decline in COVID-19 infection and many people being vaccinated, many tourism restrictions were lifted. As such, there was a significant rebound in tourism. According to data, Nepal received 614,869 tourists in 2022. This represents a substantial increase of over 300% compared to 2021. Tourism preferences in 2022 showed 64.7% visiting for holidays, 10.03% for adventure, 12.87% for religious purposes, and 12.39% for other reasons. Major tourist sources like the USA, UK, France, Spain, India, and Germany often target mountain climbing, favoring peaks like Mt. Everest, Ama Dablam, and Manaslu.