Tourist Arrivals Up 1% y-o-y in 2025

Nepal welcomed 1,158,459 foreign visitors in 2025, marking a 1 percent increase compared to 2024, according to preliminary data from the Department of Immigration compiled and analysed by the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB).

Total arrivals reached 97 percent of pre-pandemic levels when Nepal received 1,197,191 visitors in 2019.

The tourism industry had recorded a strong rebound in 2024. Growth was driven by rising arrivals from key markets, including China, Europe, and the United States. Nepal welcomed 1,147,548 international tourists in 2024, about 13 percent rise from 1.01 million visitors in 2023.

Arrivals in December 2025 stood at 98,190, a 6.7 percent year-on-year increase. 

Indian tourists remained the largest source market, accounting for a quarter of total arrivals. The United States, China, the United Kingdom, and Bangladesh followed.

However, arrivals from India and China, Nepal’s key tourism markets, declined by 8 percent and 6.3 percent year-on-year, respectively. This was despite China declaring 2025 as “Visit Nepal Year in China” to promote outbound travel to Nepal.

In contrast, arrivals from the United States rose by 1 percent in 2025. Visitor numbers from the United Kingdom increased by 7.2 percent. Arrivals from Bangladesh recorded strong growth of 17.8 percent.

Nepal received 292,438 visitors from India. This accounted for 25.2 percent of total arrivals. American visitors totalled 112,316, or 9.7 percent.

Chinese arrivals stood at 95,480, or 8.2 percent. Visitors from the United Kingdom numbered 58,684, accounting for 5.1 percent. Bangladeshi tourists totalled 57,545, or 5.0 percent.

In 2024, Chinese arrivals had surged by 67.3 percent to nearly 102,000. Indian arrivals had declined by 0.7 percent in the same year.

Arrivals from Israel and Sri Lanka also recorded notable growth –   41.4 percent and 24.2 percent – respectively in 2025. 

In the first four months of the current fiscal year, from mid-July to mid-November 2025, Nepal earned foreign currency worth Rs 27.15 billion from tourism, NTB said. Similarly, foreign direct investment commitments in tourism during the first five months of the fiscal year totalled Rs 30.26 million across 476 projects.

Region-wise, 35.2 percent of visitors came from South Asia, including India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. Other Asian countries accounted for 21.9 percent.

Europe contributed 19.1 percent of total arrivals. The Americas accounted for 11.7 percent, including visitors from the United States, Canada, Brazil, and Mexico.

Oceania, comprising Australia and New Zealand, made up 4.6 percent of arrivals. The Middle East and Africa accounted for 1.8 percent and 0.4 percent, respectively.