KATHMANDU: As many as 200,000 tourists visited in Nepal in the past eight months.

According to the Department of Immigration, 199,903 foreigners visited Nepal from January to August. During the same period last year, 739,000 tourists had visited Nepal.

Despite the government’s decision to celebrate this year as Nepal Tourism Year with the target of bringing two million tourists, the ambitious campaign was postponed to the coronavirus pandemic. Nepal had suspended international flights from March to August.

However, tourist arrival was not as encouraging even before the coronavirus’s impact was witnessed, media reports said on Sunday.

According to the Department of Immigration, the number of people leaving Nepal is higher than the number entering in the last eight months.

During this period, 232,082 foreign nationals returned home through Tribhuvan International Airport.