Nepal Welcomes Over 720,000 Tourists in First Eight Months of 2024, Marking 8.3% Growth

Over 720,000 tourists visited Nepal in the first eight months of 2024, according to data from the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB). Between January and August, 720,334 tourists entered the country, marking an 8.3% increase compared to the previous year. In August alone, 72,719 tourists arrived, 5,566 more than the same month last year, when 67,153 visitors were recorded.

NTB Director Maniraj Lamichhane noted a steady rise in foreign tourists and expressed optimism that numbers would continue to grow, especially from neighboring countries, due to ongoing tourism promotion efforts. India led the visitor numbers in August with 25,832 tourists, followed by 6,614 from China, 5,614 from the US, 4,851 from Sri Lanka, and 3,077 from Bangladesh.

Tourist arrivals have seen a continuous rise post-pandemic, with 1,014,885 visitors in 2023. The highest number of tourists in 2024 was recorded in March, with 111,376, while July saw the lowest at 64,599. The government has set an ambitious goal of attracting 1.6 million foreign tourists in the current fiscal year, backed by the Tourism Strategy Plan (2016-25) and the Visit Nepal Decade initiative. Infrastructure improvements are also underway, with the Department of Tourism identifying 100 tourist destinations for development.