The Guests Are Here Again! Nepal Sees 180% Rise in Tourist Arrivals in March

Nepal has seen a spurt in tourists' arrival in the country in March.

According to data unveiled by the Department of Immigration, 42,006 foreign nationals have landed in Nepal by air. This is the highest monthly arrival figure since the pandemic, and a 180% rise compared to the figure last year, at a time when the coronavirus was still not under control worldwide.

15,013 visitors have come from India, which is the highest arrival figure from a country. It isn't clear whether the data indicate arrivals and departures from airports of countries regardless of the visitor's nationality. It could very well be that this figure came in part from non-Indian foreigners entering Nepal via the Indian route.

The second and third-highest arrivals have come from the US (4,896) and the UK (4,029) respectively.

The tourism economy in Nepal was disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic that induced nations worldwide to restrict international travel. Travel and tourism business operators saw significant losses in rental payments, and the sector had to lay off a big chunk of its employees, which had a spiraling effect on the overall economy.

With intensive vaccination and preventive measures, the pandemic seems to be in control at the national and international levels. However, the neighboring country China, from where the virus transmission is arguably believed to have originated, has seen a rise in the virus yet again. Its major city Shanghai has gone through a lockdown once more.

As a matter of fact, the data unveiled by Nepal's Department of Immigration has shown a fall in arrivals from China. Only 431 arrivals from China have been recorded in March, compared to 1,207 a year ago.