Nepal Achieves Tourism Milestone with Over One Million Visitors in 2023

Kathmandu, Dec 30: Nepal has surpassed a significant milestone in the tourism sector as more than one million foreign tourists arrived via air in the year 2023. The Nepal Tourism Board’s statistics revealed that as of 5:00 am this morning, a total of 1,008,614 tourists had visited Nepal.

The achievement marks the fulfillment of the government’s ambitious goal set in the budget for the current fiscal year, aiming to attract one million foreign tourists to Nepal in 2023. The tourism industry, which was severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, has shown remarkable resilience and recovery, with a nearly 85 percent revival this year.

“The arrival of tourists this year is encouraging,” commented NTB Director Maniraj Lamichhane. The statistics highlight that more than one million tourists entered through the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, signifying a positive turnaround for the country’s tourism sector.

Binayak Shah, President of the Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN), expressed optimism about the continued growth in tourist arrivals in the coming days. He emphasized that if the government strengthens its collaboration with the private sector, Nepal can expect further increases in tourist numbers.

It is noteworthy that the government has declared the year 2025 as Visit Nepal Year, and the period from 2023 to 2032 is designated as the Tourism Decade, with a target of welcoming 3.5 million tourists.

A significant trend observed in the statistics is the notable increase in the number of Indian tourists, reaching 317,481 in 2023 compared to 254,150 in 2019. Similarly, American tourist arrivals have surged to 99,985, surpassing the 2019 figure of 93,241. The influx of Chinese tourists is also on the rise, with 60,160 Chinese nationals visiting Nepal this year, showing steady growth from the 2019 figure of 169,543. The robust recovery of the tourism sector is seen as a positive sign for Nepal’s economy and underscores the resilience and attractiveness of the country as a tourist destination.