Nepal Welcomes Over 577,000 Tourists in First Six Months of 2025

Nepal received a total of 577,689 foreign tourists in the first six months of 2025, according to the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB). The board had initially projected a modest 10% increase in tourist arrivals compared to 2024.

In 2024, Nepal saw a total of 1,147,548 foreign visitors. Based on this, the board had hoped to attract an additional 114,000 tourists in 2025. However, officials now admit that the numbers have not grown as expected halfway through the year.

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Tourism officials point to several challenges affecting arrivals, including limited international promotion, difficult travel connections, expensive airfares, and ongoing conflicts in various parts of the world.

Maniraj Lamichhane, head of NTB’s Pokhara office, stated, “Half of 2025 has already passed, yet the growth rate remains below expectations. It seems unlikely that we will meet our target this year.”

Lamichhane also noted that Nepal recorded its highest-ever tourist numbers in 2019, with 573,658 visitors in the first six months. However, the COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted tourism, and it was only in 2024 that the industry began showing significant recovery. In the first half of 2024, Nepal welcomed 583,011 foreign tourists.

“Compared to 2019, we have seen some growth this year. But arrivals have decreased compared to the same period in 2024,” he added. “While tourism has certainly rebounded from the pandemic, the numbers remain below expectations.”

Globally, the tourism sector is estimated to grow by 6% to 8% annually, following the COVID-19 downturn. Nepal had similarly expected a 10% rise this year based on global trends.

Lamichhane explained that high airfares and accessibility issues continue to limit tourism growth in Nepal. “Traveling to Nepal remains expensive, which discourages many potential visitors,” he said, adding that many tourists now prefer more affordable destinations like Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand.

Despite Indian tourists making up the largest share of arrivals, even their numbers have been disappointing recently. Lamichhane noted that negative perceptions about Nepal’s highways, especially the difficult Butwal–Narayanghat section, have discouraged Indian visitors.

“If we could improve Indian tourist arrivals, Nepal’s tourism sector would recover faster. However, transportation difficulties have clearly impacted visitor numbers,” he explained.

Tourism entrepreneurs also echo similar concerns. Ganesh Bahadur Bhattarai, a veteran tourism entrepreneur from Pokhara, remarked that the sector has not performed as hoped. “While business investment has increased, tourist arrivals have not kept pace,” he said. “Small efforts are not enough to boost both domestic and international tourism. Without more visitors, businesses cannot thrive.”

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Monthly Tourist Arrivals in 2025:

January: 79,991
February: 96,880
March: 121,687
April: 116,490
May: 86,216
June: 76,425

According to the board, June 2025 saw the highest tourist arrivals for that month in recent history. A total of 76,425 tourists arrived by air, surpassing June 2024’s figure of 76,333 and June 2023’s 72,250 arrivals.

Before the pandemic, Nepal had received 74,883 tourists in June 2019.