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Tourism is the largest industry in Nepal and its largest source of foreign exchange and revenue. Home to eight of the ten highest mountains in the world, Nepal is a destination for mountaineers, rock climbers and adventure seekers. The Hindu and Buddhist heritages of Nepal and its cool weather are also strong attractions. [1]
Mount Everest, the highest mountain peak in the world (8,848.86m above the sea level), is located in Nepal. Mountaineering and other types of adventure tourism and ecotourism are important attractions for visitors. The World Heritage Site Lumbini, birthplace of Buddha, is located in the south of the West region of Nepal (which despite the name is located in the center of the country) and there are other important religious pilgrimage sites throughout the country. The tourist industry is seen as a way to alleviate poverty and achieve greater social equity in the country. Tourism brings $471 million a year to Nepal. [2]
According to statistics of 2019, there was a growth rate of 2.1%. According to statistics from Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), a total of 1,197,191 foreign tourists entered the country in 2019 as compared to 1,173,072 in 2018. The government of Nepal declared 2011 to be Nepal Tourism Year, and hoped to attract one million foreign tourists to the country during that year. [3] The government of Nepal has also declared Lumbini Tourism Year 2012 to promote Lumbini. The government of Nepal has also recently declared Visit Nepal 2020 with the aim of bringing in two million tourists by 2020.
Most of tourists visit for short stays. In 2022, 64.7% of the tourists came to Nepal for holiday vacations,10.03% came for adventure, such as trekking and mountaineering, 12.87% came for religious visits, and 12.39% for other reasons. Tourists who come from the USA, UK, France, Spain, India, and Germany have a main target of activity: mountain climbing. Mt. Everest, Mt. Ama Dablam, and Mt. Manaslu are the most popular mountains. [4]
The tourism industry of Nepal was affected after the destructive earthquake in 2015, by the series of earthquakes in 2015. In 2020, the tourism sector in Nepal collapsed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [5]
In 2022, tourism income increased by 190% from 2021. The gross foreign exchange earnings were Nrs 46,756,824 thousand (Around 326,282 thousand US$). [4]
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The most followed religion in Nepal is Hinduism, and the Pashupatinath Temple, the world's largest temple of Lord Shiva, located in Kathmandu, attracts many pilgrims and tourists. This is arguably the most famous Hindu temple in the Indian Subcontinent. Adjacent to the temple, lies a crematorium where bodies are burned to ashes. Pashupatinath is also listed in UNESCO heritage sites. [6] Other Hindu pilgrimage sites include the temple complex in Swargadwari in the Pyuthan district; Janaki Mandir in Janakpurdham in Mithila region; Lake Gosainkunda near Dhunche; the temples at Devghat; Kalinchowk Bhagwati Temple in Dolakha; Manakamana temple in the Gorkha District; Pathibhara near Phungling; Galeshwordham Myagdi and Mahamrityunjaya Shivasan Nepal in Palpa District where the biggest metallic idol of Lord Shiva is located.
Buddhism is the second largest followed religion in context of Nepal. The World Heritage Site at Lumbini, which is considered to be the birthplace of Gautama Buddha, is an important pilgrimage site. Another prominent Buddhist site is Swayambhunath, the Monkey Temple, in Kathmandu.
Dang valley is a sacred place for Hindus as well as other religions. Kalika and Malika Devi in Chillikot hill, Ambekeshawori temple, Krishna temple, Dharapani temple are among the sacred places in Dang district. Chillikot hill is also a good place for sightseeing and also an ancient palace of a king.
Muktinath is a sacred place for Hindus as well as Buddhists. The site is located in Muktinath Valley, Mustang district.
Badimalika temple in Bajura District, Gadhimai Temple in Bara district, Halesi-Maratika Caves in Khotang. Bhageshwori Mandir in Nepalgunj.
Bhagwati Temple in Rajbiraj are also some popular temples in Nepal.
Nepal ratified the convention on 20 June 1978, making its historical sites eligible for inclusion on the list. [7] Four sites in Nepal were on the list in 2023, with a further fifteen on the tentative list, of sites that may be considered for future submission. [8] The first sites in Nepal to be added to the list were the Sagarmatha National Park and the Kathmandu Valley, added in 1979. Due to the partial or substantial loss of the traditional elements of six out of seven monument zones and resulting general loss of authenticity and integrity of the whole property, Kathmandu Valley was also added to the List of World Heritage in Danger between 2003 and 2007. Chitwan National Park was listed in 1984, and Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha according to Buddhist tradition, was added in 1997. The National Parks are natural sites, and the other two are cultural.
According to Nepal's Ministry of Tourism, major tourist activities include wilderness and adventure activities such as mountain biking, bungee jumping, rock climbing and mountain climbing, trekking, hiking, bird watching, flights, paragliding and hot air ballooning over the mountains of Himalaya, exploring the waterways by raft, kayak or canoe and jungle safaris especially in the Terai region. [9] International elephant polo is played at Chitwan National Park.
In 2018, research into global volunteering behaviour identified Nepal as one of the world’s ten most popular destinations for orphanage voluntourism. [10]
Leading responsible tourism and child welfare organisations agree that it is irresponsible for short term and/or untrained international volunteers to work in orphanages. [11] Few volunteers are qualified to interact with traumatised, vulnerable children [12] and many orphanages lack the facilities, trained staff, and child protection policies to create safe, nurturing environments for children in care. [11]
There are over 800 orphanages in Nepal, with 80% of those in tourist areas. [13] Out of the 75 districts in the country, most registered orphanages and children’s homes are found in the five most-visited by tourists (Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Kaski, and Chitwan). [14]
Orphanages attract well-meaning tourists who want to volunteer their time and donate money, unaware that they are supporting an industry exploiting impoverished families. [15]
In Nepal, there are an estimated 16,886 children living in orphanages, 80% of whom [16] have at least one parent who could care for them. With promises of an education and a better life, children are recruited into orphanages from rural areas which are still suffering from the economic effects of ten years of civil war, to meet demands for donations [16] – a phenomenon known as orphanage trafficking. [17]
The ChildSafe Movement reports instances of orphanages keeping children in impoverished conditions to attract more donors. [14] ECPAT has also identified a link between orphanage tourism, and an increase in child sexual exploitation by foreigners and volunteers. [15]
In 2007, the number of international tourists visiting Nepal was 526,705, which was an increase of 37.2% compared to the previous year. In 2008, the number of tourists decreased by 5% to 500,277. In 2018, the number of international tourists arrival was 1.17 million. In 2019, the number increased to 1.19 million. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on tourism in Nepal, with tourist arrivals dropping to just 230,085 with a decrease of over 80.7% and further decrease by 30% in 2021 with a total number of 150,962. Pokhara is one of the main tourist destinations in Nepal.
In 2008, 55.9% of the foreign visitors came from Asia (18.2% from India), while Western Europeans accounted for 27.5%, 7.6% were from North America, 3.2% from Australia and the Pacific Region, 2.6% from Eastern Europe, 1.5% from Central and South America, 0.3% from Africa and 1.4% from other countries.
Foreign tourists visiting Nepal in 2008 stayed in the country for an average of 11.78 days which has now increased to 15.1 days and 15.5 days in 2020 and 2021 respectively [18] [19] [20]
This statistic shows the number of international tourist arrivals by year: [21] [22] [23]
 | Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. Updates on reimplementing the Graph extension, which will be known as the Chart extension, can be found on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
| Year | Number of international tourists arriving in Nepal | % change from previous year |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 293,567 | -12.2% |
| 1994 | 326,531 | +11.2% |
| 1995 | 363,395 | +11.3% |
| 1996 | 393,613 | +8.3% |
| 1997 | 421,857 | +7.2% |
| 1998 | 463,684 | +9.9% |
| 1999 | 491,504 | +6.0% |
| 2000 | 463,646 | -5.7% |
| 2001 | 361,237 | -22.1% |
| 2002 | 275,468 | -23.7% |
| 2003 | 338,132 | +22.7% |
| 2004 | 385,297 | +13.9% |
| 2005 | 375,398 | -2.6% |
| 2006 | 383,926 | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 526,705 | +37.3% |
| 2008 | 500,277 | -5.0% |
| 2009 | 509,956 | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 602,867 | +18.2% |
| 2011 | 736,215 | +22.1% |
| 2012 | 803,092 | +9.1% |
| 2013 | 797,616 | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 790,118 | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 538,970 | -31% |
| 2016 | 753,002 | +40% |
| 2017 | 940,218 | +24.8% |
| 2018 | 1,173,072 | +24.8% |
| 2019 | 1,197,191 | +2.1% |
| 2020 | 230,085 | -80.7% |
| 2021 | 150,962 | -34.3% |
| 2022 | 614,869 | +307.3% |
| 2023 | 1,014,885 | +65.1% |
| 2024 (FIRST 9 MONTHS) | 816,639 | -17.13% |
Nepal received 614,869 and 1,014,885 tourists in 2022 and 2023, respectively, according to the Department of Immigration. [24]
Most tourists arriving to Nepal on short-term basis were from the following countries of nationality: [25] [26] [27] [22]
| Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. Updates on reimplementing the Graph extension, which will be known as the Chart extension, can be found on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
| Country | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 India | 254,150 | 194,323 | 160,832 | 118,249 | 75,124 | 135,343 | 180,974 |
 China | 169,543 | 153,633 | 104,664 | 104,005 | 66,984 | 123,805 | 113,173 |
 United States | 93,218 | 91,895 | 79,146 | 53,645 | 42,687 | 49,830 | 47,355 |
 United Kingdom | 61,144 | 63,466 | 51,058 | 46,295 | 29,730 | 36,759 | 35,688 |
 Sri Lanka | 55,869 | 69,490 | 45,361 | 57,521 | 44,367 | 37,546 | 32,736 |
 Thailand | 41,653 | 52,429 | 39,154 | 26,722 | 32,338 | 33,422 | 40,969 |
 South Korea | 29,680 | 37,218 | 34,301 | 25,171 | 18,112 | 23,205 | 19,714 |
 Australia | 38,972 | 38,429 | 33,371 | 25,507 | 16,619 | 24,516 | 20,469 |
 Myanmar | 36,274 | 41,402 | 30,852 | 25,769 | 21,631 | — | — |
 Germany | 36,641 | 36,879 | 29,918 | 23,812 | 16,405 | 18,028 | 22,263 |
 Bangladesh | 25,849 | 26,355 | 29,060 | 23,440 | 14,831 | 21,851 | 22,410 |
 Japan | 30,534 | 29,817 | 27,326 | 22,979 | 17,613 | 25,892 | 26,694 |
 France | 30,646 | 31,810 | 26,140 | 20,863 | 16,405 | 24,097 | 21,842 |
 Malaysia | 21,329 | 22,833 | 18,284 | 13,669 | 9,855 | 18,915 | 18,842 |
 Spain | 19,057 | 20,214 | 15,953 | 12,255 | 6,741 | 13,110 | 10,412 |
 Canada | 17,102 | 17,317 | 15,105 | 12,491 | 8,398 | 11,610 | 12,132 |
 Netherlands | 15,032 | 15,353 | 13,393 | 11,453 | 7,515 | 12,320 | 10,516 |
| Total Foreigner | 1,197,191 | 1,173,072 | 753,918 | 753,002 | 538,970 | 790,118 | 797,616 |
Kathmandu, officially the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, is the seat of federal government and the most populous city in Nepal. As of the 2021 Nepal census, there were 845,767 inhabitants living in 105,649 households and approximately 4 million people in its surrounding agglomeration. It is located in the Kathmandu Valley, a large valley surrounded by hills in central Nepal, at an altitude of 4,344 feet above sea level.
Nepal is a landlocked country where transportation is difficult due to the mountainous terrain. Modern transportation in Nepal has only started in the 20th century.
Lumbinī is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in the Rupandehi District of Lumbini Province in Nepal. According to the sacred texts of the Buddhist Commentaries, Maya Devi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama in Lumbini in c.624 BCE. Siddhartha Gautama achieved Enlightenment, and became Shakyamuni Buddha who founded Buddhism. He later passed into parinirvana at the age of 80 years, in c.544 BCE. Lumbini is one of four most sacred pilgrimage sites pivotal in the life of the Buddha.
Tourism in India is 4.6% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). Unlike other sectors, tourism is not a priority sector for the Government of India. The World Travel and Tourism Council calculated that tourism generated ₹13.2 lakh crore (US$150 billion) or 5.8% of India's GDP and supported 32.1 million jobs in 2021. Even though, these numbers were lower than the pre-pandemic figures; the country's economy witnessed a significant growth in 2021 after the massive downturn during 2020. The sector is predicted to grow at an annual rate of 7.8% to ₹33.8 lakh crore (US$400 billion) by 2031. India has established itself as the 5th largest global travel healthcare destination with an estimated market size of around $9 billion in 2019, out of the total global travel healthcare industry of $44.8 billion(2019). In 2014, 184,298 foreign patients travelled to India to seek medical treatment.
Pokhara University was established in 1997 and is Nepal's fifth university. Its central office is located in Pokhara, Kaski District, Gandaki Province. Along with Purbanchal University, PU was formed as part of a government initiative to improve access to higher education. The Prime Minister of Nepal is the university chancellor and the Minister of Education is the pro-chancellor. The vice chancellor is the principal administrator of the university.
Rukum District was a "hill" and "mountain" district some 280 km (170 mi) west of Kathmandu partially belonging to Lumbini Province and partially to Karnali Province before split into two districts Western Rukum and Eastern Rukum after the state's reconstruction of administrative divisions in 2017. Rukum covers an area of 2,877 km2 (1,111 sq mi) with population of 207,290 in 2011 Nepal census. Musikot was the district's administrative center.
Rupandehi District, a part of Lumbini Province, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal and covers an area of 1,360 km2 (530 sq mi). The district headquarter is Bhairahawa. As per the national census 2011, the population of Rupandehi was 880,196.
Gautam Buddha International Airport — also known as Bhairahawa Airport — is an international airport located in Siddharthanagar serving Lumbini in Lumbini Province, as well as the Butwal﹣Siddharthanagar urban agglomeration in Nepal. In May 2022, it became Nepal's second international airport, after previously only handling domestic services.
Bharatpur Airport is a domestic airport located in Bharatpur serving Chitwan District, a district in Bagmati Province in Nepal. The airport is one of two airports in the vicinity of Bharatpur Metropolitan City, the other being Meghauli Airport. It serves as the main tourist gateway to Chitwan National Park.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Nepal:
Bhumlichok is a village development committee in Gorkha District in the Gandaki Zone of northern-central Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 2,964 and had 518 houses in the town.
Yeti Airlines Flight 101 was a domestic flight in Nepal that crashed on final approach to Tenzing-Hillary Airport in the town of Lukla in eastern Nepal on 8 October 2008. The De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 200 registered as 9N-AFE originated from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu.
Sworgadwari is a hilltop temple and pilgrimage site in Pyuthan District, Nepal, commemorating the special role of cows in Hinduism. It is said to have been founded by Guru Maharaj Narayan Gautam Khatri, also known as Swami Hamsananda, who spent most of his life in the area, herding and milking thousands of cows.
The following lists of tourist attractions include tourist attractions in various countries.
Tourism in Cambodia is one of the most important sectors in the country's economy. In 2013, tourism arrivals increased by 17.5 percent year on year, with business travelers increasing 47 percent.
Gaindakot is a municipality in Nawalpur District in the Gandaki Zone of southern Nepal. It became a municipality in May 2014 by merging the existing Mukundapur, Amarapuri, and Gaindakot VDCs. It was again expanded by merging Ratanpur VDC. It is situated on the shore of Narayani River in the lap of Maula Kalika temple. So this place has a great possibility of tourism development. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census, it had a population of 58,841 and 13,623 individual households according to 2011 Nepal census. The population grew to 79,349 with 20,191 individual household according to 2021 Nepal census.
Lumbini Province is a province in western Nepal. The country's third largest province in terms of area as well as population, Lumbini is home to the World Heritage Site of Lumbini, where according to the Buddhist tradition, the founder of Buddhism, Gautama Buddha was born.
Bal Bahadur KC was a former minister of Nepal. Currently, he is the member of working committee of Nepali Congress. He has a great influence in Nepali congress Party as well as Nepali Politics.
Subedar Major and Honorary Captain Chhering Norbu Bodh, SC, (retd.) is a retired personnel of the Indian Army, known for his mountaineering achievements while in the army. Bodh holds a number of Indian summiting records related to 8,000m peaks. Among others, he is the first Indian mountaineer to have climbed six of the fourteen 8000m peaks in the world, and the first Indian to stand atop Lhotse and Annapurna-1.
The trails snaking through the Himalayas are deserted, including those leading up to Everest Base Camp. Fewer than 150 climbers have arrived this fall season, immigration officials said, down from thousands last year.
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Nepal travel guide from Wikivoyage
