Amid rise of ‘luxury options and soft adventure' Indians accounted for nearly 23% of tourists in Nepal between Jan and May

Indian Express

10 hours ago

Of the 5.01 lakh tourists that arrived in Nepal between January and May this year, Indians accounted for the largest share with 1.15 lakh tourists, which translates to nearly 23 percent of the share. While India continues to dominate the tourist market, a new trend is emerging among Indian tourists with a larger demand for leisure travel and 'soft adventure' particularly amongst tourists from Maharashtra, Gujarat and Delhi. The surge, according to the Nepal Tourism Board, has been spurred by the rise of high-end, luxury properties developing across the Himalayan nation.
Data procured from Nepal government's Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation showed that tourism is witnessing a steady rise post-pandemic, with 11.47 lakh tourists arriving in Nepal in 2024, marking a jump of 13.07 percent from the previous year. Of the total tourists, Indians made up for the largest number of tourists in the Himalayan country accounting for 3.17 lakh tourists in 2024, followed by 1.11 lakh tourists from the USA, 1.01 lakh tourists from China and 57,554 tourists from the United Kingdom.
In 2025, India continued to retain its position as the largest source for the tourism market in Nepal. Between January and May, this year, 5.01 lakh tourists visited Nepal with Indians accounting for nearly 23 percent of the total share with 1.15 lakh tourists. What makes Nepal an appealing choice for Indians, according to experts, is the lack of visa application, open borders and proximity.
While holidays, trekking and pilgrimage tourism continue to dominate the purpose of travel in Nepal, tour operators have observed a shift in preferences among Indian tourists with a larger share of visitors now demanding 'soft adventure' and luxury experiences.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Sunil Sharma, officiating director, public relations and publicity department of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) said that while typically Indians have preferred traveling to places such as Kathmandu, Pokhara, Chitwan or visiting pilgrimage sites over longer durations, higher numbers of Indian tourists are now looking for leisure travel.
Sharma said, 'As a large number of high end properties are developing all over Nepal particularly in places like Kathmandu and Pokhara, Indian tourists' demand has surged for leisure travel and soft adventure. This means that Indian tourists are increasingly preferring exotic resorts and destinations in the mountain areas where they stay for two nights, relax, explore the surrounding mountains leisurely before returning back. Such demand is particularly being observed amongst tourists from Maharashtra and Gujarat.'
Records furnished from the Nepal tourism department showed that between 2023 and October 2024, star hotel properties saw a much higher rise of nearly 17.6 percent across the country while non-star hotels increased by 10.5 percent.
'Unlike hard adventure in trekking where trekkers climb upto nearly 5,000 metres for days, 'soft adventure' is where visitors trek for two – three hours at the most, adventure without punishing the body. More Indians are now preferring such soft adventures where they trek for some hours, then relax in their resorts and leisurely enjoy the mountains,' said Sharma, adding, 'One of the popular destinations for such travel amongst Indians is Dhampus which offers majestic views of the Annapurna range.'
Furthermore, towns situated along Indian borders such as Birjung, Simra, Nepalgunj, Bhairawa, cities in Jhapa district are also fast emerging as a preferred hub for destination weddings among Indians as well as Non-Resident Indians (NRIs). 'The surge in these destinations' appeal is driven by excellent connectivity from India, coupled with the growing presence of high-end hotels and resorts in Nepal's border cities. This combination of accessibility and luxury infrastructure has made Nepal an increasingly attractive choice for hosting memorable weddings,' added Sharma.
For Nepal, tourism is the second highest foreign exchange earner, after remittances, contributing to nearly seven percent of the country's GDP, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).
(The correspondent was in Nepal at the invitation of Embassy of Nepal, New Delhi)