Domestic tourism contributed 2.65 percent to Nepal’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Fiscal Year 2024/25, generating an estimated Rs 144.49 billion in gross value added, according to the National Statistics Office (NSO).
The findings are based on the Domestic Tourism Survey 2025, which highlights the growing economic significance of domestic travel in Nepal.
The survey estimates that overnight domestic tourists accounted for the largest share of tourism consumption, spending Rs 314.41 billion, while same-day excursionists contributed Rs 92.76 billion, indicating that overnight travel remains the dominant form of domestic tourism.
Resident households also spent Rs 9.9 billion within Nepal before departing on international trips, reflecting additional economic activity linked to outbound travel.
According to the survey, Nepalis made an average of 3.47 domestic trips per person annually, with each trip lasting an average of 5.29 days.
Travel patterns varied significantly depending on the purpose of the visit. Education and training-related travel recorded the longest average stay at 9.16 days, while religious and shopping trips had the shortest average duration at 2.04 days.
In terms of frequency, business and professional travel was the most common, averaging 6.9 trips per person each year, whereas holiday and leisure travel was the least frequent at 3.02 trips.
The survey further showed that the national average duration of an overnight domestic trip stood at 5.33 days, with travelers making an average of 4.81 overnight trips annually.
Significant provincial disparities were also observed. Sudurpaschim Province recorded the longest average overnight stay at 8.18 days, while Madhesh Province reported the shortest stay at 3.17 days. Gandaki Province registered the highest frequency of overnight domestic travel with 6.26 trips, whereas Sudurpaschim recorded the lowest at 3.32 trips.
Among destinations, Kathmandu emerged as the country’s leading hub for domestic tourism, ranking first across most travel categories, including business, education and health-related visits. Chitwan and Kaski also remained among the most visited districts, while Kaski was the preferred destination for holiday and leisure travel.
Overall, the NSO estimated that Nepalese households spent Rs 459.5 billion on tourism during the 12-month survey period, including both domestic and outbound travel, underscoring tourism’s growing contribution to the national economy.
