Over 1 million tourists visited Nepal in 2018, Indians visitors highest

Nepal received more than one million tourists last year with Indian visitors being the highest at 260,124, according to a media report.

The Nepal Tourism Board said 1,001,930 tourists arrived in Nepal in 10 months from January to November in 2018, a cumulative increase of 17 per cent over the same period in 2017.

The consistent and upward momentum continued through the peak tourist season during October and November 2018 without accounting for overland international visitors, The Himalayan Times reported.

The total arrivals of Indian visitors in January-November period stood at 260,124 while Chinese arrivals reached 134,362 along with a significant rise in number of tourists from Thailand, Japan and South Korea, it said.

Nepal's image as one of the most preferred tourist destinations has been reinforced as reflected in the extraordinary growth in the visitor arrivals to Nepal, said Deepak Raj Joshi, Chief Executive Officer of Nepal Tourism Board.

"The growth can be attributed to concerted efforts of Government of Nepal, Nepal Tourism Board, private sector travel trade and the media," Joshi said.

European arrivals also surged with healthy growths in key markets with the total number of arrivals in 2018 standing at at 224,206.

The total number of visitors from the US was recorded at 82,870 while the number of Australians visiting Nepal in 11 months stood at 33,528, the report said, quoting the tourism board's statement.

The figures indicate a return of tourism to Nepal which was hit by a devastating earthquake in 2015, claiming nearly 9,000 lives and severely affecting its tourism industry.