September 3: By the second quarter of 2021, the number of tourists visiting Nepal has reached 66,966. While the number of tourists visiting Nepal declined after 2019, a total of 66,966 foreigners visited Nepal in the first eight months of this year.

According to the Nepal Tourism Board, the highest number of tourists arrived in March and April. In April, 22,540 tourists visited Nepal, and in March, the number of tourists visiting Nepal was 14,977. Most of the tourists were in Nepal for trekking. Mount Everest as well as other peaks and mountains also tend to be crowded with climbers during this period. 

According to the NTB, 5,917 tourists visited Nepal in August. Tourists have come to Nepal from 33 countries. The lowest arrival of tourists was recorded in June with just  1,143 visitors.

In 2019, Nepal had the highest number of visitors with around 1.2 million tourists. However, since then, the number of tourists visiting the country has been steadily declining due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

Sajan Shakya, general secretary of the Hotel Association Nepal (HAN), said that the number of tourists coming for sightseeing and trekking has decreased in the last eight months.

He said that now that the coronavirus has been declining with rising vaccination, it is necessary to spread the message that Nepal is safe to travel. He informed that interest has also come from different countries for the upcoming tourist season.

According to the board, more tourists came from SAARC countries in August. A total of 2,192 tourists from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka have come to Nepal. Of these, 1,985 tourists arrived in Nepal from India alone.

In August, 1,015 tourists arrived in Nepal from Europe. A total of 423 Asian tourists visited Nepal from China, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Myanmar, and Thailand. In 2020, 230,000 tourists had visited Nepal.