KATHMANDU, July 2: Nepal has witnessed resurgence in tourism as 476,000 foreign tourists flocked to the country during the first half of 2023. This marked a significant recovery of 83 percent compared to the pre-pandemic year of 2019, according to the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB).
The arrival of international tourists had been on a downward trajectory since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. However, 2023 has brought about a promising turnaround in this trend, showcasing a notable rebound in tourism.
In the period between January and June 2019, a total of 536,058 foreign tourists entered Nepal. Comparatively, the corresponding period witnessed the arrival of 220,815 tourists in 2020, 580,058 tourists in 2021, and 240,911 tourists in 2022.
The number of foreign tourists arriving in Nepal during the first half of this year showed a remarkable increase of 97.79 percent compared to the same period in the previous year, while it registered a slight decline of 16.93 percent when compared to 2019 figures.
NTB provided detailed statistics on the monthly influx of foreign tourists. In January, 55,074 visitors arrived, followed by 73,244 in February, 99,426 in March, 98,773 in April, and 77,773 in May. Additionally, June welcomed 72,250 foreign tourists to Nepal.
Notably, the June arrivals included 38,845 individuals from India, 8,470 from the United States, 4,343 from China, 2,402 from Bangladesh, 1,992 from the United Kingdom, 1,639 from Australia, 1,799 from Malaysia, 888 from South Korea, 764 from Japan, and 702 from Bhutan.