Kathmandu. KATHMANDU: International tourist arrivals to Nepal have improved in January 2026.

A total of 92,573 foreign tourists have visited Nepal in the last 24 hours. That’s 15.7 percent more than in January 2025. Compared to January 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic,

The number is 14 percent higher, according to the Tourism Board.

In the first month of 2026, India has been at the top in terms of tourist arrivals. A total of 26,624 tourists from India visited Nepal in January. This is 28.8 percent of the total arrivals. This is followed by China (9.8 percent), USA (9.1 percent), Bangladesh (6.3 percent) and Australia (5.4 percent).

Regionally, 39.3 percent tourists from South Asian countries (SAARC) visited Nepal. It is followed by other Asian countries (26.1 percent), Europe (12.3 percent), the Americas (10.8 percent) and Oceania (5.7 percent

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Percent of tourists have arrived. Tourists from the Middle East (1 per cent) and Africa (0.4 per cent) visited Nepal while other regions accounted for 4.5 per cent.

Deepak Raj Joshi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), said that the data of the first month of 2026 is an indication that the confidence in Nepal in the international tourism market is gradually strengthening.

According to him, promotion of destinations, expansion of air connectivity, attraction towards adventure and cultural tourism and improvement in Nepal’s image in the international market are the major reasons behind the increase in arrivals.

“These positive statistics have established Nepal as a destination for a lifetime experience,” said CEO Joshi.