New data from the Nepal Tourism Board reveals a sharp decrease in the number of American tourists visiting Nepal, with arrivals dropping significantly in recent months. The figures, which track monthly visits, show a steady decline over the past five months.
The number of American visitors peaked in March with 11,092 arrivals. However, this number has since fallen consistently month over month. By April, arrivals had dropped to 10,053, and by May, they were down to 9,074. The decline continued through the summer, with June seeing only 9,696 American tourists and July recording a further dip to 6,626. The most recent data from August shows the lowest figure yet, with just 6,068 American visitors.
This consistent and steep drop—from over 11,000 visitors in March to just over 6,000 in August—represents a significant concern for Nepal’s tourism industry, which heavily relies on international visitors. The percentage decline from the March peak to the August low is approximately 45.29%.
For the eight-month period from January to August 2025, the total number of American tourists who visited Nepal was 71,020.
In August 2025, a total of 88,680 tourists from around the world arrived in Nepal. According to data from the Nepal Tourism Board, this represents a 22% increase in tourist arrivals compared to the same month last year. However, this number is significantly lower than the peak months of February, March, and April of this year.
Of the total arrivals in August, the largest share came from India, with 35,505 visitors (40%). Other major sources were China with 7,533 visitors (8.5%), the U.S. with 6,068 visitors (6.8%), Sri Lanka with 5,956 visitors (6.7%), and Bangladesh with 4,262 visitors (4.8%).
From January to August 2025, Nepal welcomed a total of 736,562 tourists. The number of arrivals surged from 79,991 in January to a peak of 96,880 in February and 121,687 in March. However, the total number of tourists began to decline thereafter, dropping to 116,490 in April, 86,216 in May, 76,425 in June, and 70,193 in July.
Despite the recent dip, the CEO of the Nepal Tourism Board, Deepak Raj Joshi, remains optimistic. He stated that Nepal’s tourism sector is gradually recovering from the pandemic’s impact. He also noted that the increase in tourists from India is partly due to the addition of Air India Express flights. Joshi expressed hope that tourist arrivals will continue to increase in the coming months.
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Suraj Ghimire
View More PostsSuraj Ghimire is a Nepali journalist based in Kathmandu. He focuses on political, social, migration, and international issues. He has also worked with various national television networks in Nepal.
