Tourist arrivals increase by 21 pc during NTY 2011

International visitor arrivals to Nepal via air have increased by an average of over 21.5 percent, totaling 501,264 visitors, the ever highest number in tourism history of Nepal during 11 months of the ongoing Nepal Tourism Year 2011. 

According to figures released by the Immigration Office, Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), the visitor arrivals have also increased by 20.3 percent to 58,156 visitors in the month of November compared to the same month last year.

The South Asian region except for Bangladesh has shown overall positive growth. The arrivals from India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan have registered growth of 22.1 percent, 22.1 percent and 27.4 percent respectively while Bangladesh witnessed negative growth of 11.8 percent in the month of November 2011.

Similarly, other Asian countries: China, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea have maintained the upward trend with 149.4 percent, 6.2 percent, 9%, 16.9 percent and 11.3 percent of growth respectively. However, arrivals from Thailand have witnessed negative growth of 26.1 percent. 

Except for Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland, all the markets of Europe have maintained positive growth. Arrivals from the United States of America, Canada Australia and New Zealand have also increased in November 2011 in comparison to the same month last year. 

A total of 81,261 international tourists departed from TIA in November. Departures of international tourists between January and November 2011 totaled 562,205.

The number of Nepalese arrivals stood at 56,547 while 69,194 Nepalis departed from TIA in November.