Foreign Tourist Trend Nepal 2026
Nepal's foreign tourist arrivals in FY 2025/26 show a strong and sustained upward trend. With January and February 2026 posting double-digit growth, the sector is firmly on a recovery path.
Monthly Arrival Data
| Month | 2024/25 | 2025/26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| August | 79,991 | — | — |
| September | 78,711 | — | — |
| October | 128,443 | — | — |
| November | 116,553 | — | — |
| December | 98,190 | — | — |
| January | 79,991 | 92,573 | +15.7% |
| February | 96,880 | 105,441 | +8.8% |
Key Trends
- Consistent growth: Both January (+15.7%) and February (+8.8%) showed year-on-year growth
- Seasonal pattern holds: October remains peak month (128,443 in 2025) with a secondary peak in March-April
- Volume milestone: February 2026 at 105,441 is the highest February on record
Source Markets
While the NRB data doesn't break down by nationality in this table, Nepal's traditional source markets include India (largest by volume), China, USA, UK, Japan, South Korea, and Australia. The growth suggests broad-based recovery across multiple source markets.
Tourism and NEPSE
Tourism recovery impacts NEPSE through hotel and travel company stocks. Banking sub-index growth of +6.81% partly reflects confidence in the tourism-dependent hospitality sector. Hotel credit at Rs. 222,914M (+6.15%) signals banking sector confidence in tourism's trajectory.
Conclusion
The foreign tourist trend in Nepal is firmly positive for 2026. Double-digit January growth and a record February suggest the sector could achieve annual arrivals of 1.1-1.2 million if current momentum sustains. This would set a new post-COVID high and potentially a new all-time record for Nepal.