Tourist arrival to Nepal via air in the month of February recorded awhopping 33 percent growth to 33,492 as compared to the arrival figures of same period last year. Arrivals of Chinese tourist increased by 242.5 percent in February, according to Immigration Office at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA).
Along with China, arrivals from the entire South Asian region recorded a growth of 12.1 percent, with India (1.8 percent), Bangladesh (110.2 percent), Pakistan (1 percent) and Sri Lanka (11.6 percent) all recording growth. A total of 6,156 Indian tourists and 1,184 US visitors came to Nepal in February, Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) said in a statement.

Arrival from other Asian countries also maintained upward trend, led by healthy rise in arrivals from Japan (31.7 percent), Malaysia (38.9 percent), Singapore (55.9 percent) and South Korea (21.6 percent). However, arrivals from Thailand recorded a negative growth of 54.7 percent. In aggregate, the Asian segment registered a robust growth of
69.5 percent.

The European market also registered a healthy growth of 20.6 percent in February. Arrivals from UK (1.8 percent), France (46.8 percent), Germany (12.4 percent), Italy (44 percent) and the Netherlands (87.5 percent) contributed to the healthy rise from the European sector.
However, arrivals from Norway (-41.8 percent), Spain (-22 percent), Russia (-10.4 percent) and Switzerland (-2.4 percent) plunged. Arrivals from US recorded a healthy growth of 53.2 percent in February. Similarly, Canada, Australia and New Zealand also recorded impressive growths in February. According to Nepal Tourism Board, this is the ninth consecutive months that Nepal has witnessed growth in international tourist arrivals.

“This confirms the improved prospects for Nepal in the year 2010 with rising business and consumer confidence,” NTB said in the statement.