Indian tourists’ arrival up by 13.3 percent

Tourists arrivals from India by air to Nepal have recorded a 13.3 per cent increase during 2012 over the previous year.

During 2012, Nepal received 1,64,680 tourists from India by air and the country hopes to register a 17 per cent increase in tourist arrivals from India to the country during 2013, according to Rohini Prasad Khanal, senior officer at Nepal Tourism Board.

A large number of Hindu devotees also visit Nepal, especially during Maha Sivarathri. Nepal has been listed in Lonely Planet’s ‘best value destinations,’ for 2013. Nepal has 10 national parks, six conservation areas, three wildlife reserves, and a hunting reserve.

Easy access by road, pleasant weather through out the year, and favourable currency exchange rates were major factors contributing to the popularity of Nepal among Indian tourists.