Chinese arrivals increase, Indian tourists decline
KATHMANDU, Feb 3: In January, Nepal’s tourism enjoyed a surge in Chinese tourists while it suffered a decrease in the number of Indian visitors. Out of nearly 80,000 foreign tourists visiting Nepal in January 2025, according to data from the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), 20, 485 were Indians, 8, 191 were Chinese and the rest from other countries.
Tourism business thriving in Nepal due to substantial number of...
India remains the largest source of tourists to Nepal. In January, 20,485 Indian nationals visited Nepal, marking a 15.1 percent decrease compared to the same month last year, during which 24,139 Indian tourists visited. Indians typically enter Nepal through border areas, including road (vehicle) routes. However, the NTB only records foreign tourists arriving by air.
The NTB reports that China ranks second, after India, as the largest source of tourists to Nepal. In January, 8,191 tourists from China visited Nepal. While the number of tourists from India has fallen recently, the number of tourists from China has swollen by double digits. Chinese visitors have increased by 12.7 percent compared to January of the previous year.
After China, the United States sends the second-largest number of tourists to Nepal. In January, 8,063 US tourists visited Nepal, representing a 14.9 percent increase compared to last year.
The NTB reported that in January, 5,406 tourists arrived in Nepal from Bangladesh, 4,301 from Australia, 3,756 from South Korea, 3,521 from the United Kingdom, 3,219 from Thailand, 2,768 from Bhutan, and 1,570 from Japan.
