Foreign tourist arrivals in Nepal reached 88,248 in September 2026, a 12.1% increase compared to the same month in 2025, according to data from the Nepal Tourism Board.
Tourist numbers from China more than doubled, rising 114.1% from 5,237 in September 2025 to 11,212 in September 2026. Visitors from South Asian countries increased by 23.9%, from 24,285 to 30,085. Other Asian nations recorded a 58% rise, with arrivals growing from 12,590 to 19,888. Japanese tourists contributed to this growth with a 45.4% increase to 2,066 visitors.
Arrivals Declined from ASEAN, Europe, and Americas
The ASEAN region experienced a 25.9% decline in arrivals, falling to 5,422 visitors. European
arrivals dropped 8.7%, from 16,597 to 15,148, while visitors from the Americas decreased from 11,523 to 10,107. British tourist arrivals fell by 25.2% to 3,725, and U.S. arrivals declined to 8,299 from 9,679.
Among SAARC countries, arrivals from Bangladesh rose 31.5% to 3,964, Bhutan arrivals increased from 833 to 1,111, India arrivals grew from 15,556 to 17,425, and Sri Lanka saw an increase from 4,616 to 7,108. The Middle East registered an 11.9% rise in arrivals.
Nepal’s tourism sector achieved these gains despite facing continuous natural disasters over the preceding two months, demonstrating resilience in attracting international visitors, according to
reports by Onlinekhabar.com.
