Nepal's record May: 102,626 visitors as the trekking economy roars back

Nepal's tourism rebound is no longer a forecast — it is a fact written in the arrivals figures. The country welcomed 102,626 foreign tourists by air in May 2026, a 19 percent jump on May last year and a remarkable 31 percent above the same month in 2019, before the pandemic. For a month that sits at the tail of the spring season and the edge of the monsoon, that is a striking number — and a sign of a very busy year ahead on the trails.

Who is coming

India remains, by a wide margin, Nepal's number-one market — and the May surge is partly Indians escaping the pre-monsoon heat of the plains for the cool of the hills. China, the United States, Bangladesh and Australia round out the top five. Here is how the leading source markets stacked up in May:

What a busy year means for trekkers

Record arrivals are good news for Nepal — more income for mountain communities, guides and porters — but they also carry a practical message for travellers: the popular trails and the limited seats into places like Lukla fill earlier than ever. With spring and autumn both running at record pace, the trekkers who get the dates, the flights and the teahouses they want are the ones who book well ahead.

Source: Nepal Tourism Board (May 2026 arrivals); The Tourism Times.