South Asian tourist arrivals posts robust growth

Propelled by the robust growth of the South Asian arrivals, the tourist arrivals in the third month of this year has registered sustained positive growth in the international visitor arrivals.
According to figures released by Immigration Office at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), visitor arrivals in March -- compared to the same month last year -- have increased by 4.6 per cent to 46,491.
India -- which constitutes the major market of Nepal -- has recorded a positive growth of 28 per cent along with Sri Lanka and Pakistan with 38.3 per cent and 6.8 per cent, respectively.
However, the arrivals from Bangladesh have declined by 2.5 per cent. In aggregate the South Asian segment has registered a positive growth of 22.5 per cent, though all the regions have shown positive growth.
Arrivals from Asia -- except South Asia -- have also recorded positive growth of 15.1 per cent in aggregate. The visitor's arrivals from China have increased by 15.2 per cent. Japan -- after being struck by natural disaster -- has also registered increase in arrivals by 9.6 per cent.
Similarly, the arrivals from South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore have also increased by 12.1 per cent, 51.9 per cent, 16.2 per cent and 10.8 per cent respectively.
However, an overall negative growth of 12.6 per cent has been observed from the European markets with mixed performance from the individual countries. "Arrivals from markets such as France, Italy, Russia, Sweden and Denmark are up by 28.8 per cent, 8 per cent, 36.2 per cent, nine per cent and 13.5 per cent," the data revealed adding that the arrivals from the major generating markets such as the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland have registered negative growth by 27 per cent, 16.1 per cent, 20.3 per cent, 43 per cent, and 7.7 per cent, respectively.
Tourist arrivals from USA have increased by 22.7 per cent whereas the arrivals from Australia, New Zealand and Canada saw negative growth by 3.7 per cent 13.5 per cent and 5.3 per cent respectively.
Between January to March -- in three months -- international tourist arrivals to Nepal increased by 12.5 per cent to 116,989 over the same three - month period a year ago, according to the statistics.
A total of 47,343 foreign tourists departed from TIA in March, whereas the number of Nepali arrivals stood at 60,295 and 64,860 Nepalis departed from TIA in March.