Nepal: Tourist arrivals jump by over 15 pc in Jan
Kathmandu: Nepal made a hopeful start in the tourism sector in January, with tourist arrivals jumping by more than 15 per cent year-on-year to 92,573, despite fears of a decline following political unrest in September last year, the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) said on Sunday.
According to the NTB, this figure is also 14 per cent higher than in January 2019, the period before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following the GenZ protests, which resulted in the deaths of 77 people and the destruction of property worth more than NPR 84 billion, according to government estimates, Nepal’s tourism sector was expected to suffer badly.
Foreign-branded hotels, including the Hyatt Regency and Hilton, were severely damaged during the violent protests. The Hilton was burnt to the ground, while the Hyatt remains closed for maintenance.
This prompted the World Bank to predict a sharp decline in foreign tourist arrivals in the following months. However, after a fall in arrivals in September last year, the country continued to see a gradual rise in foreign tourist arrivals, suggesting the resilience of Nepal’s tourism industry.
Nepal Tourism Board Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Deepak Raj Joshi said that arrivals in the first month of 2026 indicate that confidence in Nepal in the international tourism market is gradually strengthening.
“Destination promotion efforts in recent years, expansion of air connectivity, growing interest in adventure and cultural tourism, and an improved image of Nepal in international markets are the main reasons behind the increase in tourist arrivals,” he said.
“These positive figures show that Nepal is increasingly being established as a lifetime experience destination.”
According to NTB data, India topped the list of source countries for tourist arrivals in January. Nepal received 26,624 Indian tourists, accounting for 28.8 per cent of total arrivals.
This was followed by China with 9,101 tourists (9.8 per cent), the United States with 8,406 (9.1 per cent), Bangladesh with 5,814 (6.3 per cent), and Australia with 4,957 tourists (5.4 per cent).
From a regional perspective, South Asian countries (SAARC) accounted for 39.3 per cent of total tourist arrivals to Nepal, followed by other Asian countries with 26.1 per cent, Europe with 12.3 per cent, the Americas with 10.8 per cent, and Oceania with 5.7 per cent.
Tourists from the Middle East accounted for 1 per cent of arrivals, while Africa contributed 0.4 per cent. Other regions made up 4.5 per cent of the total.
In 2025, Nepal received 1.15 million foreign tourists, marking a one per cent increase compared to 2024.