Majority of foreign tourists entering Nepal falls within the age group of 31 to 45 years: Tourism ministry data

POKHARA, May 12: Majority of foreign tourists entering Nepal fall within the age group of 31 to 45 years. Out of 10,14,882 foreign tourists who visited Nepal in 2023, a total of 317,170 were of this age group, constituting 31.25 percent of the total tourists, according to the data from the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA).

Comparatively, in 2022, there were 208,299 tourists aged 31 to 45 among a total of 614,869 foreign visitors, accounting for about 34 percent.

The second-largest group of foreign tourists visiting Nepal are aged 46 to 60 years. In 2023, altogether 272,342 tourists fell within this age group, making up 26.84 percent of the total. Last year, 155,985 tourists of this age group visited Nepal.

The third-largest age group among foreign tourists is 16 to 30 years, with 189,790 tourists visiting Nepal in 2023 compared to 121,096 the previous year. Additionally, there were 169,791 tourists over 60 years and 61,316 tourists under 15 years in 2023, up from 78,660 and 48,664 respectively in 2022.

Mani Raj Lamichhane, director of the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), said, "As Nepal is renowned for adventure tourism in the foreign market, a significant number of tourists aged  between 31 to 45 years visit Nepal. Tourists who go on trekking are included in this age group.” He said that the number of tourists who enjoy the adventure destinations of Nepal are of this age group.

He also said that tourists of this age group tend to visit Nepal to celebrate holidays, stay in expensive hotels, and spend more on luxury experiences. Lamichhane said, “There are potential benefits to Nepal's tourism sector if this age group is targeted effectively.”

Trekking entrepreneurs assert that 40 percent of the foreign tourists visiting Pokhara engage in trekking activities. "According to the statistics, at least 40 percent of the tourists visiting Pokhara opt for trekking," he said. Dharma Raj Panthi, president of Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN) Gandaki, the umbrella organization of trekking entrepreneurs, said, "We have been focusing on the overall number of tourists rather than specific age groups." He also said that although there are more tourists aged 31 to 45 visiting Nepal, it is not certain that all of them necessarily choose to trek.

He said that many tourists opt for short-distance hiking. Shorter hikes may not count as trekking, he said. Longer treks require additional time and expenses to manage, resulting in fewer tourists choosing such options. “However, short-distance treks are popular among visitors," he said. He added that younger generation tourists prefer to go on treks.