Kathmandu, Nov 3 (NationPress) Nepal has observed a notable decline in the influx of Indian tourists during the first ten months of 2025, alongside only a slight increase in total foreign tourist numbers, as per the recent data released by the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB).

India continues to be the primary source market for Nepal's tourism, contributing to one-fourth of all international visitors to this Himalayan nation.

As per the NTB statistics, arrivals from India fell by 11 percent year-on-year, totaling 243,350 from January to October this year. In contrast, overall foreign tourist arrivals saw a marginal rise of 0.3 percent, reaching 943,716.

Similarly, arrivals from China dipped by 5.3 percent to 78,929 during this period. China has now dropped to being Nepal's third-largest source market, previously holding the second position before the pandemic.

Tourism operators attribute the decline in Indian tourists primarily to the repercussions of the Gen-Z movement, which highlighted Nepal's precarious law and order situation. This movement, which erupted in early September, resulted in over 70 fatalities and numerous injuries, along with significant damage to both government and private properties.

Foreign luxury hotels, including the Hyatt Regency and Hilton, faced severe destruction during the protests. The Hilton was completely destroyed, while the Hyatt remains closed for maintenance.

"Four groups of Indian tourists planning to visit Nepal cancelled their trips due to the protests," stated Umesh Danai, Managing Director of Speedy Tourism and Travels Pvt. Ltd., a travel agency catering to Indian and other foreign tourists. "They intended to arrive via land but opted to cancel their plans instead."

Khum Bahadur Subedi, Director of Unique Adventure International, which also serves Indian tourists, shared with IANS that arrivals from India—by both air and land—have decreased following the Gen-Z protests. "We are still experiencing the aftermath, particularly in land route arrivals, as tourists express concern about the security situation," he remarked.

According to NTB data, total tourist arrivals in September dropped by 18.3 percent, a decline attributed to the Gen-Z movement. During that month, arrivals from India decreased by 32.3 percent, from China by 34.9 percent, and from the United States by 4 percent, affecting the three largest source markets.

In light of the adverse effects of the Gen-Z movement, the Nepal Tourism Board launched the 'Now In Nepal' campaign in September to help restore the country's tourism image.

While Indian arrivals rebounded slightly in October, showing a six percent increase, those from the US and China continued to decline.

Danai mentioned that his agency saw no new cancellations from Indian tourists for October and November, suggesting that normalcy returned in Nepal sooner than expected.