{
  "id": 11452037,
  "title": "Nepal Tourist Arrivals Rise 12.1% In September Despite Devastating August Floods, India Remains Top Source Market",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/nepal-tourist-arrivals-rise-12-1-in-september-despite-devastating",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-02T13:09:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/business/nepal-tourist-arrivals-rise-121-in-september-despite-devastating-august-floods-india-remains-top-source-market"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Kathmandu, Oct 2: Notwithstanding the devastating floods on August 26, foreign tourist arrivals in Nepal reached a 12.1% increase in September, the Nepal Tourism Board reported. A total of 88,248 tourists from various countries visited Nepal in September, compared to 78,711 visitors in the same month last year. The floods, triggered by an avalanche near the Nepal-China border, resulted in the loss of at least 1,453 lives, with 5,285 others, including 636 foreigners, still missing. Images of flooded roads, collapsed bridges, stranded people, and bodies recovered from rivers in northern Nepal spread globally, creating an impression that the disaster affected the entire nation. To counter the potential cancellations of hotel bookings due to the disaster, government agencies and private sector organizations launched the #NepalCalling campaign. This initiative aimed to emphasize that much of Nepal remained safe, with only the river corridors affected by the floods. The peak September-November tourism season accounts for nearly 40% of Nepal's annual tourist arrivals. India emerged as the leading source market for tourist arrivals in September, with 17,425 visitors, marking a 12% increase year-on-year. China followed with 11,212 visitors, a rise of 114.1% compared to the previous year. The United States ranked third with 8,299 arrivals, while Sri Lanka and Australia came in fourth and fifth, respectively, with 7,108 and 4,842 visitors. Regional arrivals showed mixed trends. South Asian countries contributed 30,085 tourists, accounting for 34.09% of the total arrivals. Another 19,888 tourists came from other Asian countries, while 15,148 arrived from Europe. However, tourist arrivals from Europe declined by 8.7% compared to September last year. Similarly, arrivals from the Oceania region fell by 25.9%, and those from the Americas dropped by 12.3%, based on NTB data.",
  "summary": "Kathmandu, Oct 2: Devastating floods on August 26 did not deter foreign tourists from visiting Nepal, as foreign tourist arrivals in the country grew by 12.1 per cent in September, the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) stated. A total of 88,248 foreign tourists from various countries visited Nepal in September, compared with 78,711 in the same month last year. Floods leave devastating toll Deadly floods…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}