KATHMANDU: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Nepal’s tourism sector is receding, as recent data from the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) reveals a remarkable surge of approximately 95.76 percent in the industry by the close of 2023 compared to the pre-pandemic year of 2019.

Maniraj Lamichhane, spokesperson for the NTB, stated that the substantial growth in the tourism sector was evidenced by the arrival of 96,568 tourists in December 2023 alone.

This marked increase contrasts sharply with the figures of 67,932 in 2022, 23,552 in 2021, 4,242 in 2020, and 1,866 in 2019.

In December 2023, a noteworthy 1,01,030 tourists departed from Nepal, signifying a renewed vitality in the country’s tourism landscape.

India and China emerged as the leading contributors to this surge, with 32,692 tourists arriving from India and 7,370 from China during this period.

Additionally, 7,027 tourists came from America, 5,206 from Bangladesh, 4,534 from Thailand, 4,267 from Britain, 3,834 from Australia, 2,533 from Myanmar, 2,363 from South Korea, and 2,339 from Japan.

Nepal’s tourism sector appears to be on a path of recovery, with the encouraging influx of visitors providing a positive outlook for the industry’s future, NTB stated.