KATHMANDU: Nearly 600,000 foreign tourists visited Nepal in the first six months of 2024. According to data released by the Nepal Tourism Board on Monday, the total number of tourists visiting Nepal in the review period stands at 583,016.

While the arrival of tourists has improved in 2024 compared to the previous year, there was a noticeable decline in June compared to the previous month. March and April, known for mountain climbing and trekking season, saw over 100,000 tourists each month. However, this number decreased in May and further in June, which saw 76,736 tourists, down from 90,211 in May.

Tourism experts argue that the monsoon season contributes to the drop in tourists, but they also point out that June, a non-monsoon month, should not see such a decline.

Former President of the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA), CN Pandey, attributes the decrease in number of tourists to high airfares. He explains that tourists often choose other destinations due to expensive flight tickets.

"Connectivity is also difficult, making it cheaper to travel to other countries than to Nepal," said Pandey. "Additionally, the roads to major tourist destinations like Pokhara, Chitwan, and Bhairahawa are not easy to navigate."

Pandey cites several reasons for the decline in number of tourists in June, including the 13% Value Added Tax (VAT), high air fuel prices, and airport parking fees. He believes that reducing these fees is essential for increasing tourist arrivals.

The government has set a target to attract 1.6 million tourists in the next fiscal year and aims to make Nepal a year-round tourist destination. Currently, arrival of tourists decreases during the summer, with the peak season being from September to November.

Maniraj Lamichhane, director of the Nepal Tourism Board, emphasized the need to increase tourist numbers to meet the government's target. To this end, the board has launched a 'Summer Season Chalo Nepal' campaign in India, promoting summer packages in Himalayan regions like Manang and Mustang. However, Lamichhane noted that the absence of a chief executive officer in the board has hindered publicity and promotion efforts.

The data also showed a decrease in tourists from Nepal's major source countries, India and China. Although it was expected that arrival of Indian tourists would increase in summer, the number dropped from 38,288 in May to 37,835 in June. Similarly, arrival of Chinese tourists decreased from 8,381 in May to 7,494 in June.