Nepal records strong tourism growth in May

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, June 3: Nepal welcomed 102,626 international visitor arrivals (IVAs) in May 2026, marking a strong performance in the country’s tourism sector.

According to the Nepal Tourism Board, the international tourist arrival has surged by 19 per cent in the month of May this year as compared to corresponding month last year. 

A total of 86,216 international tourists visited Nepal in the month of May 2025. The tourist arrival reflects a 31 per cent rise over the pre-pandemic May 2019 level of 78,329 arrivals, indicating a continued recovery and expansion of Nepal’s tourism industry. A total of 529,090 tourists have visited Nepal so far in 2026. 

Of these, 92,573 tourists visited in January, while 105,441 visited in February and 120,516 international visitors entered Nepal in March 2026. 

Likewise, a total of 107,934 foreign tourists visited Nepal in the month of April. India remained the largest source market, contributing 40,782 visitors or 39.74 per cent of total arrivals. 

China followed with 11,514 arrivals (11.22 per cent), while the United States ranked third with 9,001 visitors (8.77 per cent). 

Similarly, a total of 5,298 (5.16 per cent) from Bangladesh and 3,375 (3.29 per cent) tourists from United Kingdom visited Nepal in the month of May. 

A total of 2,870 visitors from Australia, 2,857 tourists from Malaysia, 1,756 tourists from Japan, 1,550 tourists from Russia and 1,548 foreign tourists from Germany visited Nepal.

Region-wise, South Asia (SAARC) dominated inbound tourism with 47.2 per cent (48,461 tourists) of total arrivals. 

Visitors from other parts of Asia contributed 19.9 per cent (20,462 tourists), while Europe made up 13.1 per cent (13,440 tourists) of the total arrivals.

Tourists from the Americas accounted for 10.3 per cent (10,618 tourists), Oceania contributed 5.5 per cent (3,188 tourists), Middle East contributed 1.5 per cent (1,511 tourists) and Africa shared only 0.3 per cent (334 tourists) in the month of May.

The steady increase across major markets reflects Nepal’s strengthening position as a leading tourism destination in South Asia, supported by improved connectivity, growing international interest, and post-pandemic recovery momentum.