Tourist arrivals are increasing in Nepal, according to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation. Over 600,000 tourists visited Nepal in 2022, which is a significant increase compared to the 150,962 tourists who visited the country in 2021, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, the number of visitors is still about 50% lower than the 1,197,191 tourists who visited Nepal in 2019, before the pandemic. Despite this, there are signs of a tourism revival in the country.
The Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN) reports that the number of inquiries from potential visitors is increasing.
To capitalize on this trend, the Nepalese government is planning to declare 2023-2033 as Visit Nepal Decade.
This follows the cancellation of the Visit Nepal Year campaign in 2020 due to the Covid-19 crisis.
India and China are the major sources of foreign tourists in Nepal. The Chinese government has recently resumed outbound travel and included Nepal in the list of outbound destinations for its citizens. This is expected to provide a significant boost to tourism in Nepal.
Tourists from the US and Europe primarily visit Nepal for trekking and mountain climbing, particularly to the famed Everest Base Camp.
The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation reports that there has been an increasing trend in tourists from these regions.
Overall, while the number of tourists in Nepal has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels, there are positive signs of a revival in the tourism industry.
The Nepalese government’s plans to promote tourism and the inclusion of Nepal in the Chinese outbound travel list are expected to further boost the industry.
