Banking News — Nepal welcomed 91,363 foreign tourists by air in June 2026, marking a 19.5 percent increase compared with the same month last year, according to immigration data released by the Nepal Tourism Board.

The figures, compiled by the Department of Immigration, show that tourist arrivals rose from 76,425 visitors in June 2025. The June 2026 total also exceeded the 74,883 arrivals recorded in June 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, representing a 22.01 percent increase over the pre-pandemic benchmark.

Visitors from South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries accounted for the largest share of arrivals, with 48,254 tourists, representing 52.8 percent of the total. India remained Nepal’s largest source market, contributing 41,809 visitors.

A further 16,152 tourists arrived from other Asian countries, accounting for 17.68 percent of total arrivals. Among them, China contributed 8,875 visitors, followed by Japan with 2,497, South Korea with 1,765, and Thailand with 984.

Europe contributed 13,119 visitors, led by the United Kingdom with 3,266 tourists, followed by Germany with 1,892 and France with 1,267.

The Americas accounted for 6,954 visitors, or 7.61 percent of total arrivals. Of these, the United States contributed 5,237 tourists, Canada 1,298, and Brazil 219.

Arrivals from Oceania reached 3,090, representing increases of 56.35 percent over June 2025 and 57.17 percent compared with June 2019. The region’s visitors included 2,694 from Australia and 390 from New Zealand. Nepal also welcomed 674 visitors from Africa and 292 from the Middle East during the month.

According to Santosh Bikram Thapa, the steady growth in tourist arrivals has been driven by expanded international air connectivity, tourism promotion campaigns, marketing efforts in key source markets, and Nepal’s reputation as a safe and attractive travel destination.

The Nepal Tourism Board said it plans to intensify promotional activities in major source markets, including India, China, the United States, and Europe, ahead of the upcoming tourism season.