Over 1.14 million tourists visit Nepal in 2024

KATHMANDU: Nepal in 2024 welcomed 1,147,567 foreign tourists, marking a significant recovery in the tourism sector.

According to data from the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), this figure represents a 14% increase compared to 2023, when 1,014,871 tourists visited the country.

Tourism Recovery Outpaces Global Trends

Director of NTB, Maniraj Lamichhane, highlighted that Nepal’s tourism recovery is ahead of the Asia-Pacific region.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) reported that Nepal achieved 96% of its pre-pandemic tourism levels in the first half of the year, compared to the global average of 93%.

Pre-Pandemic Comparisons

While 2024’s tourist arrivals approached the pre-pandemic record of 1,197,191 in 2019, NTB remains optimistic about surpassing this milestone in the near future.

The surge reflects Nepal’s resilience following three years of setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2022.

Key Factors Driving Growth

Several initiatives contributed to this remarkable growth:

• Marketing Campaigns: NTB intensified regional tourism promotions.
• Major Events: The first-ever Nepal Premier League (NPL), the International Balloon Festival, and the Chinese Dragon Festival drew significant attention.
• Buddhist Conference: Over 800 chartered flights facilitated visitor arrivals during this event.
• Festivals and Exhibitions: Both national and international tourism festivals bolstered Nepal’s appeal.
  Monthly Arrivals

March witnessed the highest number of arrivals at 128,167, while July recorded the lowest at 64,599.

Other notable months include:

• October: 124,393
• April: 113,076
• November: 114,501
• September: 96,305

These trends underscore Nepal’s growing allure as a global travel destination.

NTB continues to prioritize regional promotion and event-based tourism to sustain this momentum.