POKHARA, June 4: The number of Indian tourists arriving in Nepal by air in May 2026 reached the highest level ever recorded. A total of 40,782 Indian tourists entered Nepal via air travel during the review month. According to available statistics, this is the highest number of Indian visitors recorded in a single month. Tourism entrepreneurs say the volume of Indian visitors entering through land routes is even higher.
According to data from the Nepal Tourism Board, a total of 102,626 foreign tourists arrived in Nepal in May. Of these, nearly 40 percent were Indian visitors. Last year, a series of incidents had made Indian tourists hesitant about traveling to Nepal. Natural disasters, accidents, and political protests had significantly affected tourist arrivals from India. This year, however, tourism entrepreneurs say arrivals have improved dramatically.
Government statistics show that in May 2024, Nepal welcomed 38,198 Indian tourists. Likewise, in August 2025, Nepal welcomed 35,505 Indian visitors. In May 2025, a total of 28,160 Indian tourists entered Nepal.
“This surge in Indian tourist arrivals has encouraged the entire tourism industry. Hotels in Pokhara and surrounding areas are seeing a strong presence of Indian guests,” said Bharat Raj Parajuli, central committee member of the Hotel Association. “The number of Indian visitors in Pokhara has increased significantly over the past two weeks. This has provided substantial relief to the tourism sector.”
According to Parajuli, Indian guests currently account for nearly 60 percent of hotel occupancy in Pokhara. Over the past two weeks, hotel occupancy in the city has remained around 90 percent. He said Indian tourists have played a major role in driving occupancy to that level.
“Besides air travel, Pokhara is easily accessible by road, which means the number of visitors arriving by land is even higher than those arriving by air. We estimate that at least one hundred small vehicles carrying Indian tourists enter the city every day,” he said. “A significant number of visitors also arrive on larger buses. With easier access to Pokhara, the city has received more Indian tourists than expected this season.”
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Parajuli added that tourism entrepreneurs in Pokhara have been running the ‘Chaliye Pokhara’ (Let’s Go to Pokhara) campaign in Indian cities almost every year, and that campaign has also contributed to the current increase in arrivals.
“We conducted promotional activities in border regions between Nepal and India. The campaign successfully conveyed the message that this is the right time to visit Pokhara, which helped increase arrivals,” he said. “The intense summer heat in Indian cities has also encouraged more travelers to come to Pokhara.”
He also said that this is the peak season for pilgrims traveling to Muktinath Temple, further boosting Indian tourist arrivals. According to him, Indian visitors are not only filling hotels in Pokhara but are also crowding other tourist destinations in the surrounding areas.
Mani Raj Lamichhane, Senior Director of the Nepal Tourism Board’s Pokhara office, said the number of Indian visitors coming to Pokhara has risen sharply in recent times. According to him, Indian travelers heading to third countries are also increasingly choosing Nepal because of its convenience.
He explained that restrictions imposed by the Indian government on dollar exchange, the availability of Indian currency and QR payment facilities in Nepal, the absence of visa requirements, and the ability to travel with personal vehicles have all made Nepal an attractive and convenient destination for Indian tourists.
“Nepal is very accessible for Indian travelers. Road connectivity has improved considerably, and visitors can now reach destinations quickly in private vehicles. This has made Pokhara an even more preferred destination among Indian tourists,” he said.
According to him, schools in India generally observe summer vacations lasting between 40 and 60 days. Since vacations typically run from mid-May to mid-June, many families take the opportunity to travel during this period.
“To protect students from extreme heat, state education boards and private schools in India set vacation schedules according to their own requirements. Classes usually resume in late June or early July. Many travelers come here simply to escape the heat,” he said. “Several Indian state governments declare summer holidays to protect students from severe heatwaves. Schools in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, for example, remain closed until June 30.”
He said that most hotels in Pokhara are currently packed with Indian guests.
Arrivals remain strong despite Middle East tensions
Despite the impact of conflict in the Middle East, Nepal welcomed 102,626 foreign tourists in May. The ongoing tensions had affected international travel routes during what is normally a peak season for visitors from third countries.
Even amid those challenges, Nepal received 107,934 foreign tourists in April.
According to the Nepal Tourism Board, tourist arrivals have remained positive despite disruptions to international air routes serving Nepal. Compared to May 2025, arrivals in May 2026 increased by 19 percent. Nepal received 86,216 foreign visitors in May 2025. The latest figure is also 31 percent higher than the pre-pandemic level recorded in May 2019, when Nepal welcomed 78,329 foreign tourists.
Indian tourists topped the list of arrivals in May followed by visitors from China, with 11,514 Chinese tourists entering Nepal during the month. The United States ranked third with 9,001 visitors. Bangladesh ranked fourth with 5,298 arrivals, while the United Kingdom came fifth with 3,375 visitors.
Lamichhane said that due to the conflict, airspace over parts of the Middle East became less secure, forcing many international airlines to use longer alternative routes. This increased fuel consumption and significantly raised the cost of air tickets to and from Nepal.
Although higher airfare had raised concerns that arrivals from Europe and the United States might decline, he said those markets have not been affected as severely as expected.
