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Continuing the upward momentum in 2023, the tourist arrivals in March have hit a four-year high signaling that tourism in Nepal has largely recovered from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. The latest statistics of the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) show tourist footfalls in March 2023 stood at 99,426, the highest since March 2019. According to NTB, Nepal welcomed 42,006 tourists in March 2022, 14,977 tourists in March 2021, and 42,776 tourists in March 2020. According to NTB statistics, 227,755 tourists visited Nepal in the first three months of 2023. Tourist arrivals have surged by 35 percent in March compared to February. Nepal welcomed 55,074 international visitors in January, 73,255 in February, and 99,426 in March. While the number of Chinese visitors is gradually improving, Nepal received the highest number of tourists from India and the US in March. According to NTB, 25,911 Indian tourists and 9,557 US visitors came to Nepal in March. The country welcomed 6,133 tourists from the United Kingdom, 4,149 from Germany, and 3,898 from Sri Lanka. While there has been a huge improvement in tourist arrivals this year, it is yet to touch the pre-Covid era. Nepal received 311,047 tourists in the first three months of 2019. The arrival of foreigners in the first three months of 2023 is 73.22 percent compared to the same period in 2019. With the easing of travel restrictions and China reponing outbound travel for its citizens, Nepali tourism entrepreneurs are pinning high hopes for 2023. NTB on its 24th anniversary announced that it aims to attract at least one million foreign tourists in 2023. In 2022, tourist arrivals reached over 600,000 without any significant contribution from China. Only 9,595 Chinese tourists visited Nepal in 2022. Tour operators say they are receiving increasing inquiries from major source markets including China of late. While the FITs (free independent travelers) have already started coming to Nepal, group travelers from the northern neighbor are yet to come here. With Nepal finally included in the list of the countries where Chinese travel agencies and online travel companies are allowed to resume, on a pilot basis, outbound group tours for Chinese citizens, travel trade entrepreneurs are expecting a surge of visitors from the northern neighbor. Travel trade entrepreneurs say that a significant contribution of Chinese tourists would be required if Nepal wants to meet the target of one million in 2023. The tour operators expect Nepal to be included in the next list of China's destination countries hopefully as early as possible. China was the second largest source market for Nepal after India before the Covid-19 pandemic.  

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 20. 00 points to close at 1,888.55 points on Sunday. Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 20. 01 points to close at 1, 888. 54 points. A total of 3,787,241-unit shares of 260 companies were traded for Rs 1. 20 billion. Meanwhile, Kalinchowk Darshan Limited was the top gainer today with its price surging by 9. 96 percent. Likewise, Swabhimaan Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited was the top loser with its price dropped by 9. 61 percent. At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 2. 73 trillion.  

The price of gold has dropped by Rs 600 per tola in the domestic market on Sunday. According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow bullion is being traded at Rs 108, 600 per tola today. The yellow metal was traded at Rs 109, 200 per tola on Friday. Meanwhile, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 108, 100 per tola. It was traded at Rs 108, 700. The price of silver, however, has increased by Rs 10 and is being traded at Rs 1, 410.

There has been a big increase in the country's foreign currency earnings from international students coming to study in Nepal in the current fiscal year. The latest macroeconomic report published by the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) shows the country earned Rs 2.02bn in the first seven of FY 2022/23 from foreign students, an increase of 125.51 percent from Rs 897.3m in the same period of the last fiscal year. The country earned Rs 1.51bn from foreign students in FY 2021/22. According to NRB, such earning was Rs 1.04bn in FY 2020/21 and Rs 2.23bn in FY 2019/20. The foreign currency earnings from education declined in the last two fiscal years due to the Covid-19 pandemic as foreign students could not come to Nepal. However, with the easing of international travel, there has been a surge in the number of foreign students studying in the country lately. Apart from subjects such as history and language, the majority of foreign students come to Nepal for medical education. According to the Medical Education Commission, 265 foreign students were enrolled in medical colleges in the last fiscal year. According to the commission, students from Bhutan, Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, and other countries come to Nepal for medical education. Currently, about 500 foreign students are studying at different medical colleges in Nepal. Similarly, foreigners also come to study language, history, law, and other subjects. But there is no integrated data on the number of foreign students studying in Nepal. As per the Medical Education Commission rule, 8.25 percent of seats in public medical colleges, 33 percent of seats in private medical colleges, and 50 percent of seats in private medical colleges run by foreign management have been allotted for foreign students. When foreign students study in Nepal, a large amount of money is spent on educational fees, housing expenses, etc. Education experts say that if the standard of the country’s education system is improved, Nepal can attract more foreign students as well as earn more foreign currency. While there has been growth in the foreign exchange earnings from international students coming to Nepal, the country is spending a much higher amount to pay the bills of Nepali students who’re studying abroad. As more Nepalis have been going abroad to study in recent years, more money is going outside the country for the purpose. The NRB report shows Nepalis have spent Rs 43.74bn in the first seven months of the current fiscal year for foreign education. Such spending amounted to Rs 67.70bn for education abroad in the last fiscal year 2021/22 which had surged due to the suppressed number of outgoing Nepali students in the previous two fiscal years due to Covid-related restrictions. In FY 2020/21 and FY 2019/20, spending for education decreased to Rs 24.95bn and Rs 25.81bn, according to NRB.