KATHMANDU: Nearly 18,000 tourists have visited Nepal in the first month of 2022.

According to the data make public by Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), 17,975 tourists visited Nepal in January. The number was 8,874 in January last year.

Indian tourists occupy the top spot among foreigners visiting Nepal. As many as 3,916 Indians visited Nepal in January.

Likewise, Americans are at second place with 3,257 US citizens entering Nepal followed by 1,824 Britons, 1,236 Bangladeshi nationals and 1,213 Australians.

This year has seen a greater influx of tourists coming from Bangladesh. 1,236 Bangladeshi nationals visited in January against just 26 in the same period last year.

The government has not restricted entry of tourist in the country amid the surge of Omicron variant of the coronavirus. Vaccinated tourists fulfilling the criteria set by the government get on-arrival visas.