Tourist arrivals drop 7.3pc in April – The Himalayan Times – Nepal’s No.1 English Daily Newspaper

KATHMANDU, MAY 4

Nepal’s international visitor arrivals fell 7.3 percent in April 2026 compared to the same month last year, with 107,934 tourists recorded, according to the Nepal Tourism Board.

The decline is largely attributed to the ongoing Middle East conflict, which has disrupted regional air travel and pushed airfares higher on long-haul routes to Nepal.

Despite the drop, April 2026 arrivals were 101.3 percent of April 2019 levels, surpassing the pre-pandemic baseline.

The Middle East conflict has driven up aviation fuel costs and forced flight rerouting, leading to higher ticket prices. For Nepal – which depends almost entirely on air connectivity – elevated airfares have dampened demand, particularly from long-haul markets in Europe, the Americas, and Oceania, which are Nepal’s higher-spending visitor segments.

India remained the top source market with 25,196 visitors, accounting for 23.3 percent of total arrivals, followed by China at 11,722, the United States at 8,724, Australia at 5,327, and Bangladesh at 5,231.

South Asian markets collectively accounted for the largest regional share at 31 percent, reflecting the relative insulation of overland-accessible markets from aviation cost pressures, with other Asian markets contributing a further 24.8 percent.

Europe accounted for 20.4 percent, the Americas 10.2 percent, and Oceania 5.5 percent.

The year-on-year contraction in April, Nepal’s spring peak season, when Everest expeditions and trekking circuits are at their most active, underscores the vulnerability of Nepal’s tourism economy to external shocks beyond its control.