Buoyed by 1.16 mn tourist arrivals in 2025 Nepal to tap ASEAN market in 2026

Kathmandu, Dec 31 (PTI) Encouraged by the arrival of nearly 1.16 million foreign tourists in 2025, Nepal on Wednesday announced that it will focus on the ASEAN market next year to attract more visitors, officials said.
     The Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), while marking its 27th anniversary here, officially declared 2026 as the “Nepal ASEAN Tourism Year” with an aim to explore high-potential tourism markets in Southeast Asia.
     Speaking at the event, NTB Chief Executive Officer Deepak Raj Joshi said the board will focus on ASEAN countries in 2026, citing strong growth prospects.
     “Nepal witnessed over 1,07,000 visitors from ASEAN countries in 2025, which shows that it is a huge market with long-term potential,” he said.
     Joshi said Nepal would promote Buddhist and spiritual tourism, nature, culture and adventure tourism, along with wellness and Ayurvedic tourism, to establish the country as a vibrant destination for ASEAN travellers.
     "Nepal received around 1.16 million tourists by air route in the year 2025, welcoming on an average almost one lakh tourists in a month," he informed.
     This was a big achievement despite there was some disturbances in tourism sector during the Gen Z movement in September, Joshi said.
     "Nepal achieved a quick recovery in the tourism sector after the agitation, registering about 3 per cent growth in arrivals," he said.
     Outlining the tourism strategy for 2026, Joshi said Nepal would focus on projecting itself as a peaceful destination, adopt AI-driven administration in tourism, stress digital professionalism, offer personalised visitor experiences, promote off-grid destinations and prioritise culture.
     Inaugurating the event, Minister for Tourism and Culture Anil Kumar Sinha sid, "Nepal should focus on promoting quality tourism in order to expand its market to global level."
     He underscored the need "to adopt digital technology, promote quality tourism, and link tourism strategy to national priority" so as to make tourism a tool for attaining economic prosperity for the country.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)