The Gaddachauki border crossing in western Nepal has seen a significant influx of foreign tourists in the first six months of 2024, with 465 visitors entering the country on foot. However, only 15 foreign tourists have traveled to India through the same border during this period.
According to Padmaraj Bhatt, Acting Chief of the Immigration Office at Gaddachauki, the number of tourists heading to India via the border crossing remains low. “The Indian government has not opened the border crossing for tourists traveling to India,” Bhatt stated. “Only a few border crossings from Nepal to India are open for tourists, and Gaddachauki is not one of them.”
Bhatt further explained that while India does not restrict foreign tourists from entering Nepal, it has not allowed tourists to travel through the Gaddachauki border crossing to India since December 10, 2021. As a result, the departure of tourists through this border crossing has been effectively halted.
Most of the foreign tourists entering Nepal through the Gaddachauki border are those who have been residing in India. “Foreign tourists who have been in India for six months are required to leave the country,” Bhatta noted. “After their six-month stay, these tourists come to Nepal and then use another border crossing to return to India.”
Upon arriving in Nepal, most foreign tourists obtain a 15-day passport, with a visa fee of $30. The visa fees for longer stays are $50 for 30 days and $125 for 90 days.
As of the end of Ashadh 2081 B.S. (mid-July 2024), the Immigration Office has collected $59,527 in revenue from passport fees. According to the office’s data, 983 foreign tourists entered Nepal via the border crossing between January and December 2023, compared to 542 in 2022. In contrast, no tourists entered through the border in the first seven months of 2021, with only 58 tourists arriving from August to December that year.
This trend highlights the evolving dynamics of cross-border tourism between Nepal and India, influenced by policy changes and the reopening of specific border crossings.
