Nepal welcomes over 120,000 tourists in 2023, Indians top the list in Feb

Nepal has welcomed more than 1,20,000 tourists in the first two months of this year, the Himalayan nation’s tourism department said on Wednesday, with Indians accounting for the highest numbers of arrivals in February.

Nepal has witnessed a dramatic surge in tourist arrivals with many countries easing their travel restrictions since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out more than three years ago.

It has welcomed 128,329 tourists by air during the first two months of 2023, according to the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB).

In February alone, the country welcomed 73,255 foreign tourists, a whopping 270.6 per cent rise compared to the same month last year, the NTB said.

The highest number of tourists last month were from India, with 18,401 arrivals, according to the NTB.

The US is the second highest tourist-generating market for Nepal as 7,887 tourists visited the country in February 2023, the NTB said.

With China allowing its citizens to travel abroad, its effect has been seen in Nepal’s tourism sector, NRB director Maniraj Lamichhane said.

In February 2023, 2,266 Chinese tourists visited Nepal, compared to 205 Chinese tourists who visited the country during the same period last year.