KATHMANDU: Nepal has enticed nearly 700,000 foreign tourists to its breathtaking landscapes in the past nine months.
According to data from the Immigration Department, a total of 692,372 tourists arrived in Nepal via air routes during the current year, 2023.
During the month of September alone, Nepal saw an impressive influx of 91,012 tourists, marking a substantial increase from the 58,314 foreign tourists recorded during the same period the previous year, as reported by the Nepal Tourism Board.
To put this in perspective, in 2019, Nepal only welcomed 92,604 tourists, highlighting the significant growth in recent tourism numbers.
The Nepal Tourism Board is optimistic that the number of foreign tourists will continue to rise in the coming months.
Maniraj Lamichhane, Director of the Board, pointed out that there has been a steady increase in tourist arrivals in recent months.
The latest figures indicate that tourist arrivals have reached an impressive 90.28 percent of pre-Covid-19 levels.
The government of Nepal has set an ambitious goal of attracting one million foreign tourists in 2023, and the recent surge in tourist arrivals suggests this target may be within reach.
According to the records, the majority of tourists arriving in September were from India, totaling 28,642, followed by China with 8,174.
The United States ranked third with 7,364 visitors, while Bangladesh came in fourth with 3,716.
Additional tourists hailed from countries including Australia, the UK, Sri Lanka, Germany, South Korea, and Israel.
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