Nepal has reported a positive uptick in international tourist arrivals with over 100,000 visitors in October 2025, representing a 3.3% increase compared to the same month last year. The surge underscores Nepal’s growing appeal as a travel destination and a beacon for the wider South-Asian tourism revival.
Data from the country’s tourism board shows that October saw more than 128,000 inbound arrivals by air, up from 124,391 in October 2024. Among the top source markets are India, the United States, the United Kingdom, China and Germany—with Indian visitors alone rising by about 6% year-on-year.
For the period from January to October 2025, Nepal welcomed a total of 943,716 international visitors, marking a modest 0.3% growth over the same period in 2024. While this longer-term figure suggests a quiet recovery phase, the strong performance in October signals momentum building as Nepal’s tourism ecosystem resets and expands.
Industry analysts attribute the growth to a combination of improved connectivity, renewed global interest in adventure and nature tourism, and strategic marketing of Nepal’s cultural heritage and landscapes. With neighbouring economies such as India and China easing travel restrictions and generating outbound demand, Nepal is well placed to capture the next wave of travel. For example, India remained the largest stepping-stone market for Nepal in the first ten months, despite a slight 11% decline in Indian arrivals over that period.
The tourism bounce is also being viewed in the context of Nepal’s push toward sustainable tourism development—highlighting adventure trekking, ecotourism, pilgrimage circuits and regional diversification. These niches are drawing visitors who look beyond traditional destinations and stay longer, thus creating wider economic spill-overs in hospitality, travel services and local communities.
However, the rebound is not without its challenges. Seasonality remains a structural issue, and Nepal still faces hurdles such as limited infrastructure, accommodation capacity in remote areas and the need for stronger overseas promotion. Industry watchers caution that sustaining growth will require broadening market outreach, enhancing visitor experience and reinforcing resilience in travel systems.
As October’s data underscores, Nepal is inching forward in its recovery journey—and with the right strategy and global positioning, the Himalayan nation may well build on its recent gains to reshape its tourism story in the coming years.
