Tourism Info Nepal

Increase in the Number of Third-Country Tourists Entering Nepal via the Eastern Border

Increase in the Number of Third-Country Tourists Entering Nepal via the Eastern Border

The number of third-country tourists entering Nepal via the eastern border of Kakarbhitta has seen a notable increase in 2024, according to officials at the Kakarbhitta Immigration Office. As of this year, a total of 6,101 third-country tourists have entered Nepal through this checkpoint, a significant rise from the 3,125 tourists who arrived in 2023.

Indra Kumar Rajbanshi, the Information Officer at the Kakarbhitta Immigration Office, shared that the influx of tourists has increased by 2,976 compared to the previous year. This growth in tourist arrivals follows the reopening of the Panitanki border by India, which had been closed to third-country tourists for an extended period due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For several years, due to the pandemic-related restrictions imposed by India, third-country tourists were not allowed to enter Nepal through the Indian border checkpoint at Panitanki. However, from August 1, 2024, India reopened the Panitanki border to tourist traffic, resulting in a sharp increase in the number of foreign tourists entering Nepal, explained Uday Kumar Shrestha, former president of the Koshi Province Committee of the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATA).

“After the pandemic, commercial activities resumed at the border, but India’s restrictions on tourists remained. It was only after high-level discussions that the Indian government allowed tourists to cross the border in August. Since then, tourist arrivals have returned to their previous levels,” said Shrestha.

In recent years, Bangladesh had been a major source of tourists entering Nepal via the eastern border. However, in 2024, the largest group of tourists crossing the border through Kakarbhitta came from Bhutan, with 4,916 Bhutanese tourists arriving via land routes. This was a notable increase from 2,931 Bhutanese tourists who entered Nepal in 2023.

Nepal offers a free 30-day visa to tourists from South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries, which has contributed to an increased number of Bhutanese visitors, particularly for religious tourism. Rajwanshi noted that the free visa policy for Bhutanese tourists has played a significant role in boosting their numbers.

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