Kathmandu - The number of tourist arrivals in Nepal in the
first nine months of 2008 rose by 2 per cent over the same period
last year, officials said Friday.
The rise in the number of people visiting the Himalayan nation was
seen as the tourist season got under way and the country expected a
surge in the number of arrivals over the coming three months.
The Nepal Tourism Board said the negative growth seen from April
to July had reversed and the arrivals in September were up by 1 per
cent as the total number of visitors arriving by air from January
through the end of last month hit 257,181.
The tourist figures were only for arrivals by air, and the board's
Sharad Pradhan estimated that another 50,000 tourists travelled
overland to Nepal.
Officials said the growth could be attributed to growing political
stability and better air connectivity to the country.
The rise was pushed by a surge in visitors from South Asia,
Oceania and North America.
'India, the largest tourist-generating market for Nepal, showed
remarkable growth of 14 per cent in September, and the South Asian
region posted an overall growth of 13 per cent,' the board said.
'Tourists arrivals from the United States of America and Canada
increased by 13 per cent in September in comparison to the same month
last year,' it added.
The board said, however, that a slowdown was seen in arrivals from
East Asia.
Airlines have increased their flights to Kathmandu because of
growing demand, and Thai Airways International on Friday announced it
was increasing its flights between Bangkok and Kathmandu.
The airline said it was adding three more flights per week
beginning October 26, bringing its weekly scheduled flights between
the two capitals to 10.
The tourism industry is one of Nepal's biggest foreign exchange
earners, bringing in millions of dollars to the impoverished country
and providing employment to hundreds of thousands of people.
However, its tourism industry suffered during the heights of the
Maoist insurgency from early 2000. At the end of 2006, the Maoists
signed a peace pact, agreeing to lay down their arms and join the
government. Thereafter, tourist arrivals have undergone a jump.
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