KATHMANDU, Jan. 2 — Nepal welcomed over 1.15 million foreign tourists in 2025, a rise of one percent compared to 2024, the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) said on Thursday.
A total of 1,158,459 tourists visited Nepal, representing a 97 percent recovery compared to the pre-COVID pandemic level of 2019, according to the NTB.
While the Himalayan country witnessed steady growth in tourist arrivals throughout the year, political unrest in early September impacted visitor numbers, the NTB data show.
In September, foreign tourist arrivals declined by 18.3 percent, but the sector recovered over the following three months compared to the same period of the previous year.
India remained the largest source market, accounting for 25.2 percent of total foreign tourist arrivals, with 292,438 visitors. It was followed by the United States with 112,316 visitors.
China ranked third, with 95,480 Chinese tourists visiting Nepal. The United Kingdom stood fourth with 58,684 visitors, followed by Bangladesh in fifth place with 57,545 visitors. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
