The positive trend in international visitors' arrival figure to Nepal maintained till March 2008 has started to decline. This month of May witnessed a slight decline of 5% tourist arrival compared to May 2007. However, in last five months it has maintained 8% of growth of the same period compared to last year. In May this year, the Indian market considered a major market, showed a decline of -14% with -2% and -1% followed by UK and USA whereas 45% increment of Japan is recorded. This was based on the figures provided by Immigration Office, Tribhuvan International Airport, Nepal.
The SAARC segment shows a 10% decline compared to last month of which the Indian market is the only one to have tourists coming fewer than before. The rest shows a growth of Bangladesh (28%), Pakistan (40%) and Sri Lanka (90%). Out of the remaining Asian segment registered Japanese arrivals escalated by 45% along with S. Korea (43%) and Malaysia with (1%). The other markets to decline were China (-37%), Singapore (-14%), Thailand a sharp decline (-46%) as well ROC Taiwan (-48%).
European arrivals market share during the month from major generating markets like UK (-2%), France (10%) and Germany (-2%). A significant growth maintained this period is Spain with (73%) followed by Austria (12%) and Belgium (18%). The rest of the European markets showed a record of Denmark (-1%), Israel (14%), Italy a sharp decline of (-47%), Netherlands (-21%), Norway (24%), Switzerland (-20%), and Sweden recorded (-7%).
The decline of tourists visiting Nepal can be analyzed as the wait and watch of the political situation of the country. The ban on Kailash Mansarovar trip by Chinese Government for sometime could be another reason for declining the arrival of Indian tourists as they use Nepal as a transit point to enter Tibet for Mansarovar pilgrimage tour.
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