Nepal has welcomed more than 700,000 foreign tourists in the first eight months of 2024. According to data from the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), a total of 720,334 tourists visited Nepal from January to August. The Board reported an 8.3% increase in foreign tourist arrivals in August alone, with 72,719 tourists entering the country during that month.
Compared to the same period in August 2023, Nepal saw an increase of 5,566 visitors. Last year, in August 2023, 67,153 tourists visited the country, whereas this August witnessed a rise with 72,719 foreign tourists. NTB Director, Maniraj Lamichhane, noted that the recent uptick in tourist numbers is encouraging. He attributed this growth to targeted tourism promotion programs focusing on neighboring countries like India and China, expressing optimism for continued growth from these and other countries.
The statistics provided by the Tourism Board revealed that India topped the list of tourist arrivals in August, with 25,832 visitors, followed by China with 6,614, the USA with 5,614, Sri Lanka with 4,851, and Bangladesh with 3,077. A comparison with previous years shows that Nepal welcomed 41,304 tourists in August 2022, 6,093 in 2021, and 94,749 in 2019, reflecting the fluctuation in tourism trends over recent years.
March saw the highest number of visitors in 2024, with 111,376 tourists arriving in Nepal, while July recorded the lowest, with 64,599. Other months saw steady numbers, with April also reporting 111,376 visitors, January 79,100, February 97,426, May 90,211, June 76,736, and August closing at 72,719.
Since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nepal’s tourism sector has shown continuous growth. In 2023, Nepal recorded a total of 1,014,885 foreign visitors. The government, aiming to further elevate this number, has set a target of attracting 1.6 million tourists in the current fiscal year.
The Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation is actively working to implement the ‘Tourism Strategic Plan (2016-2025)’ and the ‘Nepal Tourism Decade,’ which both aim to boost tourist numbers to meet the ambitious 1.6 million target. The ministry is focusing on the development, expansion, and promotion of various tourist destinations.
Infrastructure development, including the construction of trekking trails and the promotion of tourist products domestically and internationally, is being prioritized. The Tourism Department, in collaboration with the Nepal Tourism Board, has identified 100 potential tourist destinations, with infrastructure development already underway.
This strategic push is part of Nepal’s broader plan to strengthen its tourism sector and showcase the country’s unique cultural and natural attractions to the world.
