The recovery in tourist arrival has continued as Nepal welcomed 98,773 foreign visitors in April 2023. The latest statistics from the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) show that tourism in Nepal has largely recovered from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. The tourist footfall in April 2023 is 90.28 percent compared to April 2019 when 109,399 foreigners visited Nepal. The tourist arrival has surged by 132.67 percent in the first four months of 2023. According to NTB, 326,528 tourists visited Nepal in the first four months of 2023 compared to 140,336 during the same period of 2022. 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, the US, and the United Kingdom in April. According to NTB, 31,437 Indian tourists and 8,413 US visitors came to Nepal in April. The country welcomed 5,409 tourists from the United Kingdom, 4,770 from China, 3,828 from Australia, 3,246 from Germany, and 3,211 from France.

While there has been a huge improvement in tourist arrivals this year, it is yet to touch the pre-Covid level. Nepal received 420,446 tourists in the first four months of 2019. The arrival of foreigners in the first four months of 2023 is 77.66 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 fresh inquiries from major source markets including China. While the FITs (free independent travelers) have already started coming to Nepal, group travelers from the northern neighbor arrived in the second week of April, the first group tour from China after the Covid-19 pandemic. The arrival of 180 Chinese trekkers in Nepal on April 13 has rekindled hopes for Nepal's tourism sector. They were the first of four batches of nearly 8,00 Chinese trekkers to visit Nepal to trek on the Poon Hill trail located some 270 kilometers west of Kathmandu. This visit has come after China included Nepal on a second list of 40 destinations for group tours that Chinese nationals could visit starting from March 15. After China reopened its door to its citizens to visit Nepal, Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and Nepali travel trade entrepreneurs are visiting various Chinese cities to promote Nepal tourism. Travel trade entrepreneurs say that a significant contribution of Chinese tourists would be required if Nepal wants to meet the target of one million visitors in 2023. Tourist arrivals

Month	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
January	81,273	79,702	8,874	16,975	55,074
February	102,423	98,190	9,146	19,766	73,255
March	127,351	42,776	14,977	42,006	99,426
April	109399	14	22732	61589	98,773
Total	420,446	220,682	55,729	140,336	326,528

  Top five source countries in April 2023

India                                31,437 United States                   8,413 United Kingdom             5,409 China                              4,770 Australia                         3,828