Nepal Welcomes 88,248 Foreign Tourists in September, Arrivals Rise 12.1%

Nepal recorded a notable increase in international tourist arrivals in September 2026, with 88,248 foreign tourists entering the country, according to the latest data released by the Nepal Tourism Board based on figures from the Department of Immigration. The September figure represents a 12.1% increase compared to the same month last year, when Nepal received 78,711 international tourists. Despite the overall growth, the regional breakdown shows a mixed trend, with Asian markets recording strong gains while several major Western markets experienced declines. The SAARC region remained Nepal’s largest source market, accounting for 34.09% of total arrivals. A total of 30,085 tourists arrived from SAARC countries, marking a 23.9% year-on-year increase. India continued to lead the regional market, with 17,425 Indian tourists visiting Nepal in September, representing 19.75% of total arrivals and a 12% increase from the previous year. Sri Lanka recorded 7,108 arrivals, up 54%, while Bangladesh contributed 3,964 tourists, an increase of 31.5%. Bhutan and Pakistan recorded 1,111 and 429 arrivals, respectively. Other Asian markets posted the strongest growth among major regions, with arrivals increasing by 58% to 19,888, accounting for 22.54% of total tourist arrivals. China was the key contributor, with 11,212 Chinese tourists visiting Nepal—more than double the 5,237 arrivals recorded in September 2025, representing a 114.1% increase. Other notable Asian markets included Japan with 2,066 arrivals, up 45.4%, Malaysia with 1,877, up 12.2%, and South Korea with 1,412, up 4.3%. However, arrivals from Thailand and Vietnam declined by around 11%. In contrast, arrivals from several long-haul Western markets declined. European arrivals fell 8.7% to 15,148, accounting for 17.17% of total arrivals. The UK remained the largest European source with 3,725 tourists, although arrivals declined by 25.2% year-on-year. Germany, France and Spain recorded 1,974, 1,389 and 1,120 arrivals, respectively. Some European markets bucked the downward trend, with arrivals from Russia, Italy and the Czech Republic increasing by 18.4%, 20.4% and 15.7%, respectively. Tourist arrivals from the Americas declined 12.3% to 10,107. The United States accounted for 8,299 visitors, down 14.3%, while arrivals from Canada fell 15.5% to 1,224. The Oceania region also recorded a significant decline of 29%, with 5,422 tourists visiting Nepal. Australia accounted for the majority of arrivals from the region, with 4,842 tourists. Meanwhile, arrivals from the Middle East increased 11.9% to 2,606, including 1,957 visitors from Israel. Africa contributed 424 tourists, up 23.3%, while 4,568 arrivals were classified under other or unclassified countries. Overall, the September data shows that strong growth from Asian markets, particularly China and South Asian countries, helped drive Nepal’s overall tourism recovery despite weaker arrivals from Europe, North America and Oceania.