Nepal Tourism Remains Strong Amid Flooding as Foreign Tourist Arrivals Surge 12.1 Percent in September 2026

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Nepal’s September 2026 foreign tourist arrivals jumped by 12.1 percent despite the flood as demand soared from India and China.

Nepal’s tourism sector witnessed a significant rise in foreign tourist arrivals in September 2026, registering a jump of 12.1 percent despite the flood situation along the Bhote Koshi and Bud hi Gandaki rivers. The country received 88,248 overseas visitors, which is an increased number by 12.1 percent compared to the same period last year. Demand from neighboring countries such as India and China along with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh remained strong on the tourism sector and popular destinations across the Kathmandu Valley continued to draw in large numbers of foreign visitors.

According to figures released by the Nepal Tourism Board, based on Department of Immigration records, Nepal received 78,711 international tourists in September 2025. The latest figures therefore represent an increase of 9,537 visitors within a year.

Although flooding affected parts of the country, the overall number of international arrivals continued to rise. However, tourism performance varied considerably between regions, with Asian markets recording particularly strong growth while some Western markets experienced weaker demand.

Nepal Records 88,248 International Tourist Arrivals in September 2026

Nepal’s international tourism sector demonstrated resilience during September, maintaining positive visitor growth despite weather-related challenges.

The arrival of 88,248 foreign tourists marked a notable improvement over the 78,711 visitors recorded during the corresponding month in 2025.

The 12.1 per cent increase indicates that international travel demand remained strong at the national level, even as flooding affected areas around two major rivers.

Tourism activity also remained visible across several destinations in the Kathmandu Valley, where international travellers continued visiting established attractions.

However, the national growth figures do not establish that every destination experienced an increase. Regional and country-level statistics reveal significant differences in visitor demand.

South Asian Countries Dominate Nepal’s International Tourism Market

South Asian countries remained Nepal’s largest regional source of foreign tourists during September 2026.

Visitors from the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) accounted for 34.09 per cent of all international tourist arrivals.

Nepal received 30,085 tourists from SAARC member countries during the month, reflecting a 23.9 per cent increase compared with September 2025.

This means approximately one in every three international tourists visiting Nepal originated from South Asia.

The figures reinforce the importance of neighbouring countries to Nepal’s tourism industry. Strong regional travel demand continues to contribute substantially to overall international arrivals, particularly through established tourism connections with India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

India Retains Its Position as Nepal’s Largest Foreign Tourist Source Market

India continued to lead Nepal’s international tourism market, contributing the highest number of visitors from any individual country.

During September 2026, 17,425 Indian tourists visited Nepal, representing 19.75 per cent of total international arrivals.

The number of Indian visitors increased by 12 per cent compared with September 2025.

India’s contribution remained particularly significant within the SAARC region, accounting for more than half of all South Asian tourist arrivals recorded during the month.

The latest statistics demonstrate the continued importance of Indian travellers to Nepal’s visitor economy and highlight the strength of tourism connections between the two neighbouring countries.

Sri Lanka and Bangladesh Deliver Significant Growth in Visitor Numbers

Sri Lanka and Bangladesh emerged as two important contributors to Nepal’s expanding South Asian tourism market.

Nepal welcomed 7,108 Sri Lankan tourists in September 2026, representing a substantial 54 per cent increase compared with the same period in 2025.

Bangladesh also recorded encouraging growth, contributing 3,964 visitors during September. This marked a 31.5 per cent year-on-year increase.

Both countries outperformed the overall 12.1 per cent growth rate recorded across Nepal’s international tourism market.

Their strong performance helped support the wider 23.9 per cent increase in SAARC arrivals, demonstrating that Nepal’s regional tourism growth extended beyond its largest source market, India.

Bhutan and Pakistan Add to Nepal’s South Asian Tourism Arrivals

Other South Asian countries also contributed to Nepal’s international visitor numbers during September.

Bhutan accounted for 1,111 tourist arrivals, while Pakistan contributed 429 visitors.

Although these totals were considerably smaller than those recorded from India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, they formed part of the broader regional tourism picture.

Together, the figures illustrate the range of South Asian markets contributing to Nepal’s inbound tourism sector.

The available statistics do not specify the annual growth rates for Bhutan and Pakistan, making it difficult to determine whether their individual tourism contributions increased or decreased compared with September 2025.

China Leads the Surge in Nepal’s Non-SAARC Asian Tourism Market

Beyond South Asia, Nepal recorded particularly strong growth from other Asian countries during September 2026.

A total of 19,888 visitors arrived from non-SAARC Asian markets, representing 22.54 per cent of international arrivals and an impressive 58 per cent annual increase.

China emerged as the leading contributor to this expansion.

Nepal welcomed 11,212 Chinese tourists, compared with 5,237 during September 2025. This represented a remarkable 114.1 per cent increase, with Chinese arrivals more than doubling within a year.

China’s strong performance contributed substantially to Nepal’s overall tourism growth and reinforced its importance as an international visitor market.

Japan, Malaysia and South Korea Support Nepal’s Tourism Expansion

Other Asian destinations also contributed to Nepal’s positive tourism performance.

Japan recorded 2,066 arrivals, representing a 45.4 per cent increase compared with September 2025.

Malaysia contributed 1,877 visitors, reflecting 12.2 per cent growth, while South Korea accounted for 1,412 arrivals, an increase of 4.3 per cent.

However, not every Asian market experienced growth.

Tourist arrivals from Thailand and Vietnam declined by approximately 11 per cent compared with the previous year.

These contrasting results demonstrate that Nepal’s tourism expansion was driven by particularly strong performances from selected Asian countries rather than uniform growth across the region.

European and American Tourist Arrivals Decline Despite Overall Growth

While Asian tourism markets expanded, Nepal experienced weaker results from several long-haul destinations.

European tourist arrivals declined by 8.7 per cent to 15,148 visitors, representing approximately 17.17 per cent of total arrivals.

The United Kingdom remained Nepal’s largest European source market, contributing 3,725 visitors. However, this represented a 25.2 per cent decline compared with September 2025.

Germany accounted for 1,974 arrivals, followed by France with 1,389 and Spain with 1,120.

Tourist numbers from Russia, Italy and the Czech Republic increased by 18.4 per cent, 20.4 per cent and 15.7 per cent respectively.

Arrivals from the Americas also declined by 12.3 per cent to 10,107. The United States contributed 8,299 visitors, while Canada recorded 1,224 arrivals.

Oceania experienced a decline as well, with 5,422 visitors recorded during September, including 4,842 from Australia.

These figures highlight a significant contrast between Nepal’s growing Asian tourism markets and declining arrivals from several Western destinations.

Middle Eastern and African Markets Record Encouraging Growth

Nepal also experienced positive visitor growth from the Middle East and Africa.

Tourist arrivals from Middle Eastern countries increased by 11.9 per cent, reaching 2,606 during September 2026.

Israel accounted for 1,957 of these arrivals, making it a significant contributor to the region’s total.

Meanwhile, Nepal welcomed 424 tourists from African countries, representing a 23.3 per cent increase compared with September 2025.

An additional 4,568 arrivals were recorded from other unclassified countries.

Although these markets contributed smaller visitor volumes than South Asia, China or Europe, their growth added to Nepal’s overall international tourism performance.

Why Nepal’s September Tourism Growth Matters for International Travel

Nepal’s September 2026 performance demonstrates the importance of diversified international source markets.

Strong growth from India, China, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh helped offset declining visitor numbers from Europe, the Americas and Oceania.

The results also show that national tourism growth can continue despite serious disruption in individual destinations.

However, rising arrival numbers should not be interpreted as evidence that flooding had no effect on travellers. Flooding along the Bud hi Gandaki River damaged trekking infrastructure and disrupted journeys in parts of the Manaslu region.

For travellers planning visits to Nepal, the distinction between national tourism performance and local conditions remains important. Visitors should check current weather forecasts, road accessibility, trekking-route conditions and official travel guidance before travelling to affected mountain areas.

Nepal’s tourism sector remained strong amid flooding, with foreign arrivals rising 12.1 per cent year on year to 88,248 in September 2026. Increased arrivals from India, China, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh drove the growth despite disruptions around the Bhote Koshi and Bud hi Gandaki rivers.

Overall, Nepal’s 12.1 per cent increase in September 2026 tourist arrivals reflects sustained international demand, supported primarily by strong Asian markets. The challenge ahead will be maintaining this momentum while improving travel resilience and rebuilding confidence across markets experiencing weaker visitor growth.