Nepal hits 1 million tourists in 2024, target still out of reach

KATHMANDU: In the first eleven months of 2024, Nepal welcomed over one million foreign tourists via flights, totaling 1,055,533 arrivals, according to the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB).

However, meeting the target of 1,315,000 visitors this year remains a challenge.

The NTB anticipates that around 70,000 tourists will arrive in Nepal in December, bringing the total number of visitors for 2024 to approximately 1,115,000.

November alone saw 114,000 arrivals, reflecting a 5.4% increase compared to the same month in 2023.

NTB Director Maniraj Lamichhane noted that tourist arrivals this year are expected to be around 10% higher than in 2023, which saw 1,014,871 visitors.

The NTB had initially hoped for a record number of tourists in 2024, surpassing the pre-pandemic peak of 1,197,191 arrivals in 2019.

Despite this, Nepal’s tourism sector has shown strong recovery, performing better than many countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

Data from the United Nations World Tourism Organization indicates that Nepal’s tourism industry has rebounded to 96% of pre-pandemic levels.

However, achieving the 2024 target remains difficult due to various challenges.