Nepal becomes the first choice of Indians to visit, record breaking 17,425 tourists arrived in the month of September

The preferences of Indian tourists in terms of foreign travel and visiting beautiful valleys are constantly changing, and this time the neighboring country Nepal has achieved a new milestone in this matter. Indian tourists have emerged as the largest and most prominent group among foreign tourists visiting Nepal during the month of September. According to the latest data released by Nepal Tourism Board, a total of 17,425 Indian citizens have visited Nepal in the month of September. Interestingly, the number of Indian tourists visiting Nepal has registered a robust 12 per cent growth as compared to the same month last year, reflecting the strong cultural and tourism ties between the two countries.

According to official information shared by Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) on Friday, Nepal has welcomed a total of 88,248 international visitors in the month of September alone. Earlier, there has been a jump in the arrival of tourists as compared to the month of August, when 85,444 international tourists had reached this Himalayan country. Although during this period some parts of the country had to face challenges like natural disasters like flood of Bhotekoshi river and landslides in central Nepal, despite this there has been no decrease in the enthusiasm of international tourists.

According to tourism department data, Nepal has hosted a total of 865,920 international visitors within the first nine months (January to September) of 2026. This figure represents a strong growth of about six percent compared to the same period last year, as 815,273 tourists arrived in Nepal by air during the same period last year.

After India, the performance of other major countries in terms of foreign tourists coming to Nepal has also been remarkable. According to the data released, the top five tourist source countries coming to Nepal are as follows:

• China: China has emerged as the second largest source market with a total of 11,212 tourists, accounting for 12.71 percent of the total international tourists.

• United States of America: America stood third in the list, from where 8,299 tourists arrived in Nepal, which is 9.4 percent of the total number.

• Sri Lanka: Neighboring Sri Lanka ranked fourth with 7,108 visitors traveling to Nepal, accounting for 8.05 percent of the total tourists.

• Australia: Australia was ranked fifth, from where 4,842 tourists (5.48 percent of the total) visited Nepal to enjoy the natural beauty.

The increasing number of Indian tourists proves that Nepal is becoming the most preferred and popular foreign travel destination for Indians due to its easy travel, historical connections and natural beauty.