In the first 11 months of 2024, Nepal welcomed 1,057,262 tourists, of which 110,804 entered via land routes, according to data from the Nepal Tourism Board. While tourist arrivals have steadily increased throughout 2024, the number of land arrivals has also seen notable growth.

March and November recorded the highest number of land arrivals, with 19,119 tourists entering in March and 17,651 in November.

Data from the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation shows a gradual rise in land arrivals from January to March. However, between April and August, the numbers dipped before rebounding from September onward.

Sagar Pandey, president of the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN), highlighted that many land tourists are Indian nationals, entering through border crossings like Bhairahawa-Sunauli and Biratnagar.

"Most land arrivals consist of Indian tourists and international visitors arriving from India," Pandey explained. "Foreign tourists, particularly those visiting the mountains, tend to arrive during peak trekking seasons in September, October, November, March, April, and May."

The steady growth in land arrivals underscores the importance of strengthening cross-border tourism and enhancing infrastructure at key entry points.

Indian tourists traveling to Nepal on private vehicles via Birgunj will now be able to enter Nepal upon showing their digital vehicle registration certificate (RC) at the customs checkpoint. Customs officials said that the Birgunj Customs Office has started 'facilitating' the entry if the vehicle owner's details shown on their mobile phones are verified online.

This new initiative has facilitated the visitors as the details of RC can be easily viewed online.