Nearly 600,000 Tourists Visit in First Half of 2024, India Leads the Way

Nepal has welcomed a notable influx of foreign tourists in the first half of 2024, with nearly 600,000 arrivals via air, according to the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB).

As per NTB reports, a total of 583,016 foreign tourists visited Nepal by the end of June this year. In June alone, 76,736 tourists arrived, marking a positive trend in tourist footfall.

Director of NTB, Mani Raj Lamichhane, expressed satisfaction, noting, “Almost 600,000 tourists have arrived in Nepal via air within six months. The arrival of tourists in June was satisfactory.”

Comparing June 2024 to the same period last year, there has been a 6.21% increase in tourist arrivals, surpassing the figures from June 2019, the previous record-setting month.

In June 2020, only 102 tourists arrived due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact, contrasting sharply with 72,250 in June 2023. Similarly, the months of June in 2021 and 2022 saw 11,887 and 46,957 foreign guests, respectively.

The upward trend in tourist arrivals has been consistent throughout the year. Lamichhane anticipates surpassing last year’s numbers, highlighting significant arrivals in January (79,100), February (97,426), March (128,167), April (111,376), and May (90,211).

Looking forward, the government has set ambitious goals, aiming to attract 1.6 million tourists in the upcoming fiscal year. Initiatives include new destination identification and extensive promotional activities across major Indian and Chinese cities.

Indian tourists topped the list in June 2024 with 37,835 arrivals, followed by Americans (8,281) and Chinese (7,494). Lamichhane emphasized the need to focus more on attracting Chinese tourists, citing challenges related to their spending power affecting Nepal’s tourism sector.