Tourist arrivals in Nepal last month reached 98% of pre-pandemic levels, according to preliminary data from the Department of Immigration analyzed by the Nepal Tourism Board.
A total of 79,991 foreigners visited Nepal in January 2025, compared to 81,273 in January 2019. The figure slightly exceeded the 79,100 arrivals recorded in January 2024.
India remained Nepal’s top source market, contributing 20,485 visitors, followed by China (8,191), the United States (8,063), Bangladesh (5,406), Australia (4,301), and South Korea (3,756). Other significant arrivals included travelers from the United Kingdom (3,521), Thailand (3,219), Bhutan (2,768), and Japan (1,570).
Read: Arrivals from China, US, Europe Surge; India Declines in 2024
Nepal's tourism industry was among the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, with international arrivals plunging to just 8,874 in January 2021. For comparison, Nepal had welcomed 79,702 visitors in January 2020 before the pandemic Nepal went into lockdown in March that year.
Tourist arrivals fell sharply to 230,085 in 2020 and dropped further to 150,962 in 2021—the lowest since 1977, when only 129,329 foreigners visited Nepal.
Numbers began recovering in 2022, with 16,975 arrivals in January, followed by a surge to 55,074 in January 2023 as travel restrictions eased.
The strong rebound in 2024, driven by rising arrivals from China, Europe, and the United States, has signaled a steady tourism recovery. Data from the Department of Immigration shows that Chinese arrivals surged by 67.3% to 101,879 last year, reaffirming China’s importance as a key source market. Meanwhile, Indian arrivals—Nepal’s largest regional market—declined slightly by 0.7% to 317,772.
Overall, Nepal recorded 1,147,567 international tourists in 2024, marking a 13% increase from 1.01 million in 2023. This figure represents a 96% recovery compared to pre-pandemic levels and is the highest since Nepal's record 1.19 million arrivals in 2019.
