Foreign tourist arrivals in Nepal increased by 12.1% year-on-year in September 2026, reaching 88,248 visitors compared to 78,711 in the same month of 2025, according to the Nepal Tourism Board.
Visitors from South Asia constituted the largest share with 30,085 tourists, making up 34.9% of total arrivals. India accounted for 17,425 visitors, followed by Sri Lanka with 7,108, Bangladesh 3,964, Bhutan 1,111, and Pakistan 429 tourists.
Chinese tourist arrivals in Nepal rose sharply, with myRepublica reporting an increase of over 58% to 11,212 visitors in September 2026. OnlineKhabar English News reported an even larger rise of 114.1%, more than doubling
Chinese tourists from 5,237 in September 2025.
Other Asian arrivals overall increased by 58%, rising from 12,590 in September 2025 to 19,888 in 2026. Japanese arrivals increased by 45.4% to 2,066 visitors in September 2026.
Declines in European, Oceanian and US Visitors
European tourist arrivals fell 8.7% year-on-year to 15,148 visitors in September 2026. Among Europeans, the UK led with 3,725 visitors, followed by Germany with 1,974, France 1,389, Spain 1,120, and Italy 910.
Tourists from the Oceania region decreased by 25.9% to 5,422, with 4,842 Australians and 580 from New Zealand visiting Nepal during the month.
Arrivals from the United States also declined. MyRepublica reported 10,107
American tourists in September 2026 compared to 11,523 the previous year, while OnlineKhabar indicated a figure of 8,299 visitors from the US.
Increases in Middle Eastern and African Arrivals Amid Natural Disasters
Tourists from the Middle East increased by 11.9% to 2,606 visitors in September 2026. African arrivals also showed growth, rising 23.3% year-on-year to 424 tourists.
Despite experiencing continuous natural disasters over the two months prior to September 2026, Nepal’s inbound tourism showed resilience with overall growth in foreign arrivals.
