Kathmandu, February 10

The number of foreign tourists visiting Nepal in January has decreased by around 1,500 from the number recorded in the same month last year, warning that the government’s ambitious target of welcoming two million tourists in the Visit Nepal Year 2020 is unlikely in the present situation.

Nepal Tourism Board says 79,686 foreigners visited Nepal in January. The number was 81,272 in the same month last year.

However, the number of Indian tourists has slightly increased in this period, according to the board. The country received 16,882 Indians this January whereas it was 14,650 last year. The number of tourists from another neighbour, China, has decreased apparently due to the novel coronavirus infection.

Stakeholders fear that the new infection might hit the industry hard as its death toll is going up in China and it is spreading across the world.