BHADRAPUR: A total of 9,447 foreign tourists entered Nepal through the eastern border point of Kakarbhitta in Jhapa, during the fiscal year 2082/83.
According to Indra Kumar Rajbanshi, acting chief of the Immigration Office, Kakarbhitta, an average of 26 foreign tourists entered Nepal through the border point each day during the period. As Indian citizens do not require visas to enter Nepal, Indian tourists are not included in the figure.
Citizens of 86 countries traveled through the Kakarbhitta border point, with Bhutanese nationals accounting for the largest share of arrivals. A total of 4,994 Bhutanese tourists entered Nepal, representing 53 percent of all foreign arrivals. Citizens of the United States were the second-largest group, with 2,152 arrivals, or 23 percent of the total, Rajbanshi said.
According to office statistics, Poush and Magh are considered the peak tourist months at the eastern border point. The highest number of tourists entered Nepal in Poush, with 1,850 arrivals, while the lowest number was recorded in Bhadra, with 216 arrivals.
Rajbanshi said the increase in arrivals during Poush and Magh is mainly due to winter holidays in Bhutan, during which many Bhutanese citizens visit relatives in Jhapa and surrounding areas and travel to Halesi Mahadev in Khotang, which is popularly known as the Pashupatinath of the East.
The Immigration Office has been providing full immigration services through the Kankarbhitta border crossing only since August 2024. The office stated that many foreign tourists are still not sufficiently informed about the availability of services through this entry point.
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