Visitor Arrivals in April 2009 up by 15.8%(by air only)

Tuesday, 19 May 2009

Dispite the political instability ,visitors from the foreign countries has been increased in Nepal.This trend shows the positive sign for the tourism industries of Nepal.The figures released by Immigration Office, Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) reveal that visitor arrivals in the month of April 2009, compared to the same month last year, have increased by 15.8% and have reached 37,819. Last year it was 32,665 in April, 2008.


For the first time in 2009, the month of April witnessed positive growth in visitor arrivals to Nepal, in a way challenging the worldwide decline in tourist arrivals. The entire Asian region registered positive growth except Japan. Visitor arrivals from every market from South Asia registered a positive growth. India which occupies largest share in visitor arrivals in Nepal recorded whopping 27.3% of growth. Similarly, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh witnessed positive growths of 61.2%, 29.4%, and 1.3% respectively.



Other Asian source markets: China, Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea and Singapore have regained the upward trend with 27.3%, 68.5%, 20.9%, 73% and 61.3% of growth respectively. However, arrivals from Japan witnessed marginal negative growth of 1.3%.


The entire Europe and Oceania registered robust growth of 23.3% and 16% respectively in comparison to the same month last year. However, France and the Netherlands registered negative growth of 3.7% and 9.4% respectively. Likewise, arrivals from Canada and United States of America also registered positive growth of 20.2% and 5.8%.


The increment in the visitor arrivals reflects and reinforces the resilient nature of tourism economy which can play a crucial role towards recovery of economies which are dependent on tourism. The remarkable growth in visitors’ arrival from India and China; our immediate neighbors and major players in the intraregional tourism underscores the need to focus in the regional markets at the time of economic crisis.


A total of 41,439 foreign tourists departed from TIA in April 2009. The number of Nepalese arrivals stood at 43,444 while 45,886 Nepalese departed from TIA in April 2009.