The reopening of the eastern border post at Kakarbhitta to third-country nationals has led to a noticeable rise in tourist arrivals. According to the Immigration Office, within the 15 days following the reopening, the border has seen the entry of 225 tourists. During the same period, 123 individuals entered Nepal via land routes, while 102 exited the country.
Mohan Paneru, Chief of the Immigration Office, explained that the anticipated number of tourists has been affected by ongoing protests in Bangladesh. “Many of the tourists using this border are from Bangladesh,” Paneru said. “Due to the unrest in Bangladesh, there have been tighter controls at the border, but as the situation improves there, we expect tourist numbers to rise.”
Following the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, other border posts across the country reopened to tourists, but the eastern border with India remained closed. This closure had halted tourist arrivals through the eastern border for four years. The border was finally reopened on July 17 following government efforts to ease access for tourists.
Since the reopening, tourists from various countries including Bhutan, the USA, Switzerland, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Romania, South Korea, and Singapore have been arriving, according to Paneru. He expects the trend of increased tourist arrivals to continue as conditions stabilize.
