Nepal records 8.3 per cent surge in August 2024

Kathmandu : Nepal recorded a positive revival in its tourism sector with a significant 8.3 per cent rise in tourist arrivals in August 2024, according to the Nepal Tourism Board.

This marks a promising uptick compared to August 2023 when 67,153 tourists visited the country, reaching a total of 72,719 tourists in 2024.

However, Mani Raj Lamichhane, Director of NTB, expressed concern that despite the steady growth, the revival has not met the levels seen in 2019.

"The tourist arrival increased this August, but not at the pace we hoped," Lamichhane said, highlighting the need for stron-ger marketing efforts, particularly toward Western nations.

India continues to be the largest source of tourists for Nepal, contributing 35.5 per cent of the total arrivals in August, with 25,832 tourists. China and the US followed with 9.1 per cent and 7.7 per cent, respectively, while countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the UK also contributed significantly.

The total regional distribution for August shows: South Asia (SAARC) 48.4 per cent, Asia (other regions) 17.34 per cent, Europe 13.7 per cent, Americas 8.8 per cent and Oceania 2.9 per cent.

August's growth is part of a larger trend, with 720,300 tourists visiting Nepal in the first eight months of 2024, compared to 601,000 over the same period in 2023. The highest tourist influx occurred in March 2024, with 128,176 arrivals.

Nepal's tourism sector is gradually recovering from the devastating impact of Covid-19, which saw arrivals plummet to as low as 150,700 in 2021/22. For comparison, in fiscal year 2019/20, 1.19 million tourists visited Nepal, with that number sharply declining in subsequent years due to the pandemic.