KATHMANDU: According to Nepal’s Economic Survey for 2025/26, presented by Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle, the average daily spending of tourists in Nepal plummeted by 19%, dropping from USD 40.84 in 2024 to USD 33.08 in 2025.

Tourism leaders, including Kumar Mani Thapa, President of the Tourist Guide Association of Nepal, attribute this decline to exorbitant international airfares—which can reach up to USD 3,000 and drain tourist budgets before they arrive—as well as a lack of luxurious tour packages, expensive internal travel, and inadequate infrastructure.

Sahadev Dhamala from the Thamel Tourism Development Council also noted a critical shortage of high-quality shopping options and modern service delivery needed to encourage local spending.

Conversely, the report highlighted positive growth in overall tourist volume and stay duration.

Total arrivals ticked up by 1.3% to reach 1,162,365 in 2025, driven primarily by visitors from India (200,093), the US (113,000), China (96,000), and the UK (59,000).

Furthermore, the average length of stay extended significantly from 13.30 days in 2024 to 16.34 days in 2025.

This extended stay structure ultimately offset the lower daily spending, allowing Nepal’s total tourism revenue to achieve a 4.8% growth overall.

Statistically, most visitors arrived for holidays and entertainment (60.2%), followed by pilgrimage (14.4%) and trekking or mountaineering (14.2%).