Nepal sees rise in international tourists, but Indian arrivals decline in 2024

Tourism remains a cornerstone of the Nepalese economy, serving as a major source of foreign exchange and revenue.

Nepal welcomed approximately 1.15 million tourists in 2024, marking a gradual recovery in the country's tourism industry after the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the number of Indian visitors saw a slight decline of nearly one per cent.

According to the latest data released by the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), 11,47,567 foreign visitors entered Nepal by air during the January-December period in 2024, reflecting an 8.8 per cent increase compared to 1,014,817 visitors in 2023. Despite this overall growth, the number of Indian tourists dropped marginally by 0.68 per cent, with 317,773 Indian visitors in 2024 compared to 319,936 in the previous year.

The decline in Indian arrivals was attributed to factors such as road accidents and landslides, according to Mani Lamichhane, Director at Nepal Tourism Board. In July, two buses carrying Indian tourists went missing in the Trishuli River, and landslides and floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains in September claimed around 250 lives across Nepal, Lamichhane noted.

The NTB data also revealed a dip in tourist arrivals by air in December. In December 2023, 96,568 tourists visited the country by air, while the number dropped to 92,034 in December 2024, a decline of 4.7 per cent. Indian arrivals in December showed a sharper decline, with only 24,541 visitors in 2024 compared to 32,692 in December 2023—a drop of 24.9 per cent.

Although Nepal fell short of its 2024 target of welcoming 1.6 million tourists, the NTB data highlights a significant revival in the country's hospitality sector. The total arrivals in 2024 recovered to 99 per cent of the pre-COVID levels seen in 2019 when Nepal recorded 1.197 million foreign visitors by air.

Tourism remains a cornerstone of the Nepalese economy, serving as a major source of foreign exchange and revenue. In 2023, the sector contributed 6.6 per cent to the country's gross domestic product, underscoring its importance to Nepal's economic framework.