Nepal April tourist arrivals up 34 percent

Tourist arrivals to Nepal rose 34.3 percent in April continuing a growth spree reinforced by the launch of Nepal Tourism Year. The country welcomed 51,969 visitors in the fourth month of NTY compared to 38,694 in April 2010. According to government statistics, international tourist arrivals to Nepal increased 18.4 percent to 168,958 from January to April as against 142,688 in the same period last year.

All the tourist generating markets have shown positive growth in April. In aggregate, the South Asian segment has registered a growth of 32.5 percent. India, which constitutes the major market of Nepal, has recorded a growth of 38.3 percent. Arrivals from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have increased 4.9 percent, 4.1 percent and 83.9 percent respectively.

Arrivals from Asia (other than South Asia) have also recorded a growth of 18.4 percent in aggregate. Visitor arrivals from China increased 42.2 percent while arrivals from Japan, Thailand, Singapore and South Korea swelled 13.1 percent, 5.6 percent, 37.3 percent and 3.7 percent respectively. However, arrivals from Malaysia have declined 9.6 percent.

An overall positive growth of 45.4 percent has been observed from the European market with arrivals from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Russia up 56.2 percent, 30.4 percent, 47.7 percent, 7 percent, 49.5 percent, 58.6 percent, 70.5 percent, 23.8 percent and 16.5 percent respectively.

Tourist arrivals from Australia and New Zealand increased 47.3 percent and 46.7 percent respectively. Also, arrivals from the US and Canada saw a positive growth of 25.7 percent and 36 percent respectively.A total of 55,630 foreign tourists departed from Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport in April 2011.

Source = eturbonews