Press Release by Nepal Tourism Board :
The arrival figure released by Immigration Office, TIA has shown that visitor arrivals to Nepal increased by 9.6 % with total 23502 visitors in June 2007. The European market has recorded a strong increase by 39 %, keeping on the ascending trend of arrivals from this segment in each month of this year. Indian market recorded a negative growth of 12.8 %, nevertheless this market alone contributed more than 50 % percent in the total arrivals. Overall, the Asian market registered a commendable upsurge in arrivals with a notable rise of 289.5% from china, 235.4 % from Taiwan and 11.7 % from Japan.

The major tourist generating markets from both Europe and Americas registered a healthy growth this month, despite some records of negative trend from France and Italy. Canada and USA market grew by 81.4 % and 50 % respectively. Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands and Norway recorded a remarkable growth, more than double arrivals compared to the corresponding month last year. Other major markets with bigger share in total arrivals from European segment like UK, Germany and Spain also showed a healthy growth of 48.1 %, 7 % and 71.7 % respectively.

The total arrival figures till June 2007 has reached to 167133, up by 45538 arrivals compared to the same period last year. This clearly shows that tourism sector is manifesting the strong message of gradual recovery. The drop in the arrivals from Indian market, considered as a major volume market, is a matter of concern. Election in the state of Uttar Pradesh and good number of flow maintained by the non Indian travelers from overseas via India had a cascading effect on availability of seats from India. This has squarely created the dearth in seat availability from major Indian metro cities from where connection to Kathmandu was there. Moreover, the surge in the air traveling cost between India and Nepal is also one of the greatest reasons of all in the arrival figures from India.

Frequent strikes, street protest and demonstration, hurdles in vehicle movement in the country, mainly in the Terai region are some of the factors contributing indirectly to retard the healthy growth of tourism.

Read our Post that had some predictions for this month

We think, Press Releases are kind of boring, here is what the lenghty reeeeeeleeeeeeeeeaseeeeeeeeeesssss is saying which anyone can understand :

• The country’s situation is our excuse, we failed to meet our expected target for this month which would be at least  45,000 tourists considering if all past months were doing well. We did announce the Visit Pokhara with a target - Half a million tourists to land in Nepal by the end of 2007

• We will do something in July to to make it over. (well, that part is not there, we just added, can we ?)
• Nothing from India
• Lots of Tourists coming from European Countries
• At the half of the year, we got 167133 tourists, we achieved 66% of our half year’s target (250,000 tourists), For the rest will do everything possible to make this VP2007 a success!

That’s all!