Nepal welcomed 121,687 tourists in March 2025, a 5.1 percent decline compared to the same period last year. The decrease is attributed to an increase in road accidents, higher airfares, and the 10-hour daily closure of Tribhuvan International Airport, according to the Nepal Tourism Board.
Records show that in March 2023, the number of visitors stood at 128,171. The decline in arrivals began in February, when tourist numbers dropped by 0.6 percent year-on-year to 96,880, marking the first decrease since Nepal’s post-COVID recovery.
The drop in arrivals during the start of the tourism season is expected to impact the country’s hospitality industry. Nepal receives a large number of tourists for trekking, sightseeing, and mountaineering during the spring and autumn seasons.
Tourism entrepreneurs attribute the decline to the abnormal surge in airline ticket prices caused by the daily closure of the international airport. Concerns over increased road accidents and poor air safety have also discouraged potential travelers, according to Binayak Shah, president of the Hotel Association Nepal.
Political unrest in the country has further contributed to the decline. Pro-monarchy protests in Kathmandu last week led to the deaths of two individuals, creating additional uncertainty for visitors.
Tourist arrivals from South Asian countries, including India, declined by 13.4 percent to 35,287, while the number of European tourists fell by 10.5 percent. In March, Nepal received 21,412 tourists from India, 11,443 from China, 11,092 from the United States, 8,886 from Sri Lanka, and 5,995 from the United Kingdom.
In the first three months of 2025, a total of 298,500 tourists visited Nepal, reflecting a slowdown in the country’s tourism recovery.
