Total tourist arrival in the country via air in 2009 recorded a marginal growth of 1.1 percent over the arrival figure of 2008.
According to Nepal Tourism Board, a total of 378,12 visited Nepal in 2009, up from 374,661 recorded in 2008.
Issuing a press statement, NTB said the year ended with positive notes in the sense that arrivals from China witnessed an encouraging surge. Arrivals from China increased by a whopping 51.4 percent in December. Visitors from other Asian countries excluding the SAARC countries also increased. According to NTB, tourist arrivals from South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand registered a growth of 25.1 percent, 7.8 percent, 22 percent and 26.5 percent respectively.
The aggregate tourist arrival from Asian segment, other than South Asia, registered a growth of 19.4 percent in December and 10.1 percent in 2009.
Arrivals from Pakistan grew by 8.2 percent but the arrivals from India and Sri Lanka declined by 5 percent and 31.5 percent respectively in December. Likewise, arrivals from European countries registered an overall growth of 10.1 percent in December and 4.5 percent in the year 2009. Visitors from UK, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Austria also saw a growth. However, arrivals from Spain, Denmark and Norway posted a marginal decline.
According to NTB, over 75,058 trekkers visited Annapurna region in 2009 while 1,769 trekkers visited the Manaslu region.
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