Tourist arrival registers sharp decline

This post was taken from the nepalnews website article dated 06 march

The number of visitors arriving to Nepal via air in February 2005 showed a decline of 43 percent compared to the same month last year, said the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB).

This was stated in the provisional figures provided on March 6 by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation quoting the Immigration Office at the Tribhuvan International Airport, NTB said in a press statement issued Sunday.

According to the statement, a total of 14,001 visitors came to Nepal last month. The decline in the number of Indian visitors during the month was 52 percent and that of non-Indian visitors 39 percent, the release added.

However, according to the release, the arrival of Chinese tourists picked up by 52 percent.

The NTB said that the recent fall in tourist arrivals could be because of some negative coverage on Nepal by the international press and stringent travel advisories issued by some major tourist generating markets to Nepal. “As a result, travel reluctance could have developed among the potential visitors to Nepal,” the release said.

The visitors’ number will pick up again in the coming months as their confidence is gradually building up and the trekking sector has witnessed increased bookings for the coming season, the NTB statement quoted Travel Agents Association of Nepal president Deepak Mahat as saying.