Nepal Tourism Recovery 2026: Eight-Month Data
Nepal's tourism sector continues its post-COVID recovery trajectory in FY 2025/26. NRB data shows tourist arrivals growing strongly, with January and February 2026 posting encouraging numbers.
Tourist Arrivals (January-February 2026 vs Prior Years)
| Month | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55,074 | 79,100 | 79,991 | 92,573 | +15.7% |
| February | 73,255 | 97,426 | 96,880 | 105,441 | +8.8% |
Recovery Context
Nepal's tourism has been recovering since the COVID-19 pandemic devastated arrivals in 2020-21. The trajectory shows steady improvement:
- 2023 January: 55,074 → 2024: 79,100 → 2025: 79,991 → 2026: 92,573 — compounding growth
- February 2026 at 105,441 likely approaches or exceeds pre-COVID February levels
Tourism's Economic Contribution
- Foreign exchange: Travel receipts contribute to services exports in the BoP — Rs. 56,782.79M credit (2024/25 data)
- Employment: Hotels, trekking, restaurants, transport — tourism is a major job creator
- Hotel credit: Rs. 222,914M (+6.15%) — banking sector supporting hospitality growth
- Tourism credit: Rs. 28,610M in trekking/resort credit
Full Year 2024/25 Monthly Pattern
From NRB data, the monthly arrival pattern for 2025 shows peaks in October (128,443), November (116,553), and December (98,190) — the autumn trekking season. The spring peak (March-April) also shows strong numbers.
Challenges
- Air connectivity remains limited — Pokhara International Airport underutilized
- Infrastructure gaps in popular destinations
- Competition from other South Asian destinations
- Climate change affecting trekking seasons and routes
Conclusion
Nepal's tourism recovery is solid with +15.7% growth in January 2026. Crossing 100,000 monthly arrivals (as in February) is a milestone. Sustained growth requires infrastructure investment, airline connectivity expansion, and destination diversification beyond Kathmandu and Pokhara.