KATHMANDU, Nepal- The number of tourists visiting Nepal via air in the first half of 2013 recorded sharply drop down by 3.9 percent as compared to arrival figure of the first six months of 2012. According to the figure released by Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), a total of 282, 429 tourists visited Nepal in the first six months of 2913 as compared to 294,019 recorded in the first half of 2012.
Unfortunately, tourists’ arrival from the European countries sank down by 6.3 percent to descend to 66,535 with the tourists from Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and Germany falling significantly. Notwithstanding to say, there seemed an encouraging trend from United Kingdom, also regarded as the biggest source of market in Nepal, with the increase of 1.8 percent to climb 16,002. Similarly, tourists visiting Nepal from Australia and New Zealand grew by 24.2 and 15.4 percent respectively.
Nepal witnessed the sharp fall of South Asian market which holds around 33 percent share in total tourist arrival. According to NTB, arrival from South Asian region dropped down by 19.2 percent to fall 88,149 during the period, with the neighboring India gone down by 20.09 percent.
However, it may be good news as arrival from Asia increased by 18.5 percent with healthy rise from China. Nepal greeted 28, 832 Chinese tourists via air during the review period, as compared to corresponding period in 2012, according to NTB.
