KATHMANDU: In June 2024, Nepal received 76,736 tourists, 2.47% more than in June 2019 and 6.21% more than in June 2023. As per the Nepal Tourism Board, 72,250 visitors arrived in June 2023 against 74,883 who visited the country during June 2019. The total number of arriving visitors dipped significantly from 108,106 recorded in May 2024 to 77,279 in June of the same year.

The Indians formed the largest traveler group in June, where they accounted for 37,835 arrivals, followed by Americans at 8,281 passengers, China with 7,494 passengers, Bangladesh with 3,857 passengers, UK at 1,969, Australia 1,589, Bhutan, Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea at 1,. 

The Nepal Tourism Board said the rising trend in visitor arrival was a firm indication of the revival of the tourism industry and that this will significantly strengthen the economy of Nepal and make it an attractive destination for tourism worldwide.

To boost the tourism industry, a highly interactive session was conducted with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Tourist and Civil Aviation, and the Nepal Tourism Board to devise programs for Tourism Decade 2023-2032. In that session, the business sector presented that the vision requires amendments to adapt to the contemporary trends, and also sought policy reforms and infrastructure development so as to ease and speed up the importation of visitors.

Recognizing the impact of COVID-19 on the tourist industry, the ministry established a task group in 2022 to create an action plan, which was delivered in draft form in December 2022. Dr. Ganesh Prasad Pandey, Secretary of the Ministry and Chairman of the Nepal Tourism Board, emphasized the need of partnership with the commercial sector in ensuring the Tourism Decade concept's viability.

Ram Prasad Sapkota, Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee of the NTB, echoed the sentiment that private sector input is crucial for driving dynamic tourism initiatives forward. Joint Secretary of the Ministry, Indu Ghimire, described the interaction as productive, noting that the suggestions received would inform revisions to the Tourism Decade concept.

Former Executive Director of the Nepal Tourism Board, Deepak Raj Joshi, emphasized the need to adapt the program to current contexts for maximum benefit. Meanwhile, Mani Raj Lamichhane, Director of the NTB, outlined the action plan's objectives, including infrastructure development across Nepal, restoring pre-2019 tourist arrival levels by 2024, achieving a 15% annual increase in arrivals, reaching 3.5 million tourists by 2032, and creating one million new jobs in the tourism sector over the next decade.