Kathmandu, 4 Jul: Among the tourists entering Nepal, the highest number are from India, followed by the United States. Moreover, recent data shows that the number of tourists visiting Nepal has been increasing. This indicates that the tourism sector in Nepal has been gradually reviving in recent years. Government records also show that hotel businesses have become more active, and the income generated from tourism has been steadily increasing.
According to the latest Economic Survey published by the Ministry of Finance, in 2024, the majority of tourists visiting Nepal—60.4 percent—came for holiday, recreation, and travel. Similarly, 15.3 percent visited for pilgrimage, 14.5 percent for mountaineering and adventure tourism, and 9.8 percent for other purposes.
According to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, in 2024, 27.70 percent of tourists came from India, 9.67 percent from the United States, 8.89 percent from China, 4.79 percent from the United Kingdom, 4.27 percent from Bangladesh, 3.83 percent from Australia, 2.70 percent from Sri Lanka, 2.61 percent from Thailand, 2.61 percent from Germany, 2.35 percent from South Korea, and 30.57 percent from other countries. Over the past year, the number of tourists visiting Nepal has increased by 13 percent.
According to the ministry, tourist arrivals reached 1,014,882 by mid-January 2024 (end of Nepali year 2080). By mid-January 2025 (end of 2081), this number had increased by 13.0 percent, reaching 1,147,548. This suggests that tourism activities in Nepal are on the rise. The ministry also reports that with the expansion of tourism-related activities, tourism revenue has also increased.
In 2023, tourism income amounted to NPR 72.45 billion. By 2024, it had increased by 15 percent to reach NPR 83.39 billion. With the rise in tourist numbers, there have also been changes in the average daily spending and length of stay of visitors. In 2023, the average length of stay for tourists was 13.2 days, and the average daily spending per tourist was USD 41.
In 2024, there was a slight change in the average length of stay and daily spending by tourists. The average stay was recorded at 13.3 days, while the average daily expenditure per tourist stood at USD 40.8.
Not only has the number of incoming tourists increased in Nepal, but the number of mountaineering expeditions has also risen. In 2024, the number of expedition teams increased by 5.42 percent. However, the number of individual climbers slightly decreased—from 9,398 in 2023 to 9,191 in 2024. Along with the decline in climber numbers, the royalty income from mountaineering also dropped by 7.4 percent—from NPR 999.3 million in 2023 to NPR 925.8 million in 2024.
According to information provided by the Nepal Academy of Tourism and Hotel Management (NATHM), a total of 28,233 skilled human resources have been produced in the tourism and hospitality sector so far. Alongside this, the number of hotels in Nepal has also been increasing.
By mid-March 2024 (end of Falgun 2080), the number of five-star hotels, including deluxe categories, stood at 182. By mid-March 2025 (end of Falgun 2081), this number had risen to 214.
Similarly, the number of tourist-standard hotels, lodges, and resorts—including deluxe, luxury, heritage, and boutique hotels outside the star category—has also increased. As of mid-March 2024, there were 1,234 such establishments, which rose to 1,364 by mid-March 2025.
Similarly, the number of beds in star hotels, including resorts and deluxe categories, increased by 3,270 during the current fiscal year up to mid-March 2025 (end of Falgun 2081), reaching a total of 20,343.
In addition, the number of beds in tourist-standard deluxe/luxury heritage boutique hotels, lodges, and resorts (outside of star-rated hotels) increased by 5,002 during the same period, reaching a total of 42,299 by mid-March 2025.
By the end of Falgun 2081 (mid-March 2025), a total of 29 casinos were in operation—9 traditional casinos and 20 that offer games operated solely through modern machines or equipment. This was an increase from a total of 26 casinos as of the end of Ashar 2081 (mid-July 2024).
With the increase in tourist arrivals, the number of travel and trekking agencies has also been growing.
According to information provided by the Ministry, as of the end of Falgun 2081 (mid-March 2025), a total of 4,963 travel agencies, 3,252 trekking agencies, and 97 rafting agencies had been registered.
During the same period, 155 tourist transportation service providers, 5,269 tour guides, 27,128 trekking guides, and 425 river guides were also officially registered.
