Tourist arrivals down by 7pc

Tourist arrivals by air dropped by 7.01 percent in November compared to the same month last year.

According to the Tribhuvan International Airport statistics, there were 55,245 international visitors in Nepal in November, which is less by 4,166 tourists .

Nepal observed a sustained growth in international tourist arrivals since June 2009, but suffered a decline in the second half of 2013. Travel trade entrepreneurs attributed the decline due to high airfare (to and from Nepal) and the Constituent Assembly election on November 19. A number of countries had issued travel advisory to their citizens to take precaution on their planned trip to Nepal during the election.

“This reflects the volatile nature of international tourist movement, which is easily affected by factors such as the cost of traveling, situation at the destination country, global economic trends and traveling spirit of international visitors,” according to a statement of the Nepal Tourism Board.

Although the IMF has estimated a slow global economic growth, international tourist numbers grew by 5 percent in the first eight months of 2013 compared to the same period a year ago, according to the UN’s World Tourism Organization.

The Asia-Pacific region recorded 6 percent more arrivals, which is largely due to the high growth of the Southeast Asia region (up 12 percent).

In November, the number of Nepali arrivals at Tribhuvan International Airport declined by 27 percent compared to the same month last year. A total of 52,970 Nepalis arrived in Nepal in November, which was 72,735 in the same period last year. 

“It is expected that tourism is going to improve in the New Year as Nepal is heading towards stability,” the board statement read.

source: the kathmandu post,22 Dec 2013