KATHMANDU, Oct 1:

Around 800,000 foreign tourists have entered Nepal in the first nine months of the year 2023.

According to the data provided by the Nepal Tourism Board citing the Department of Immigration, a total of 782,372 tourists entered the country via air route from January to September this year.

In the month of September alone, altogether 91,012 tourists visited Nepal. In the corresponding period of last year, 58,314 tourists entered Nepal. In 2019, a total of 92,604 tourists had arrived in Nepal.

According to the board, the arrival of foreign tourists is anticipated to increase in the coming days as the tourist season has just started in Nepal. Mani Raj Lamichhane, the director of the board, said that since the arrival of tourists has been continuously increasing in recent months, the country will easily meet the target set for the year. The government has set a target of welcoming one million foreign tourists in 2023.

In the month of September, 28,642 tourists entered the country from India, followed by 8,174 visitors from China, 7,364 from America, and 3,716 tourists from Bangladesh.

Similarly, 3,685 tourists from Australia, 3,640 from the United Kingdom, 3,111 from Sri Lanka, 2,852 from Germany, 2,018 from South Korea and 1,734 from Israel entered Nepal in the review month.