POKHARA, Jan 9: Tourism entrepreneurs have expressed concern over the weakening of Nepal’s major source markets as tourist arrivals from India and China continue to decline, particularly via air routes.
India and China are considered Nepal’s primary tourism source markets. However, recent years have seen a steady drop in visitors from both countries, raising concerns within the tourism sector. According to the Nepal Tourism Board, while Indian and Chinese tourists still make up a significant share of total arrivals, their numbers have been shrinking.
Tourism Board data shows that in 2025, Indian tourists accounted for 25 percent of total air arrivals, while Chinese tourists made up 8 percent. Despite this, arrivals from both countries failed to meet expectations.
Tourism officials note that a large number of Indian tourists enter Nepal through land routes, which are not included in official national statistics that record only air arrivals. As a result, the actual number of Indian visitors may be higher than reflected in the data.
Tourism entrepreneurs look for alternative markets
Maniraj Lamichhane, chief of the Tourism Board’s Gandaki Province Office, said Chinese tourist arrivals have yet to recover since the COVID-19 pandemic. “Chinese arrivals declined after the pandemic and have not rebounded yet. Even in 2025, the number remained lower than expected,” he said.
According to the board, 2023 recorded the highest number of Indian tourists arriving by air, with 319,936 visitors. The number slightly dropped to 317,781 in 2024 and further declined to 292,438 in 2025.
Lamichhane attributed the decline in arrival of Indian tourists partly to the ‘Gen-Z movement’, which led to advisories urging Indian travelers to exercise caution while visiting Nepal. “Had it not been for the Gen-Z movement, Indian arrivals would have been better this year,” he said, adding that arrivals showed some improvement only in December.
Chinese arrivals also declined further in 2025. Nepal welcomed 95,480 Chinese tourists that year, down from 101,874 in 2024. The highest number of Chinese tourists was recorded in 2019, when 169,543 visitors entered Nepal.
Despite expectations that 2025 would see higher Chinese arrivals due to China observing Nepal Tourism Year, Lamichhane said the anticipated growth did not materialize. He stressed the need for stronger promotional activities in 2026 to revive tourist inflows.
Tourism entrepreneurs say the sector remains unstable. Hari Sharma, President of Hotel Association Gandaki, said tourism is still experiencing fluctuations. “It’s not that tourists are not coming at all, but the flow is inconsistent—crowded during peak seasons and quiet at other times,” he said.
Sharma also said lower-than-expected Chinese arrivals have hurt the tourism industry. “Indian tourists still come via land routes, but Chinese arrivals failed to meet expectations, which has made it difficult for the tourism sector to sustain itself,” he said.
