Less than 1,300 tourists visited in an average daily in July

The country received an average of some 1,286 tourists in a day – which is a marginal growth from 1,282 a day of the last July – via air this July, though some 1,529 tourists in an average visited Nepal in a day within the last seven months from January to July, which is 3.5 per cent less compared to the same period last year, when in an average some 1,585 tourists visited the country.

The figures released by Immigration Office, Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) revealed that visitor arrivals in July – compared to the same month last year – have increased by a meager 0.28 per cent to 38,560. However, aggregate visitor arrivals decreased by 3.5 per cent to 320,989 for the period between January and July compared to the same period last year.

The drop in visitor arrivals from the South Asian markets, especially from India, it said, adding that the arrivals from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka increased by 32.26 per cent and 61.68 per cent, respectively whereas India and Pakistan markets declined by 15.74 per cent and 57.76 per cent, respectively.

Visitor arrivals from Asia – other than South Asia region – recorded positive growth of 14.36 per cent with China (17.91 per cent), and Malaysia (77.10 per cent), South Korea (0.90 per cent) and Thailand (87.21 per cent) showing positive growth. However, arrivals from Singapore and Japan registered negative growths of 2.16 per cent and 12.19 per cent, respectively.

From long-haul markets, Europe registered an overall positive growth of 6.59 per cent, whereas arrivals from Belgium, the UK, Italy, the Netherlands, and Russia recorded positive growth of 54.35 per cent, 22.32 per cent, 3.45 per cent, 27.32 per cent and 62.62 per cent, respectively.

Arrivals from Denmark, Germany, France, Norway, Spain and Switzerland were, however, down by 0.87 per cent, 6.79 per cent, 7.70 per cent, 53.33 per cent, 14.97 per cent and 30.92 per cent, respectively.

Likewise, arrivals from Canada and the US also showed positive growth of 107.10 per cent and 5.10 per cent, respectively, the figures revealed, adding that Australia posted positive growth of 32.58 per cent while New Zealand showed decrease in arrival figure by 7.63 per cent.

A total of 43,063 foreign tourists departed from TIA in July, whereas some 67,422 Nepalis arrived and some 89,159 Nepalis departed from the only international airport in July.