Nepal lost a quarter of its Indian visitors in August. Here is who came instead

Nepal received 85,444 international visitors in August 2026, 3.6% fewer than a year earlier, and the whole of that fall came from one country. Arrivals from India dropped from 35,505 to 26,373, a loss of 9,132 people, according to Nepal Tourism Board figures. Each of the next four biggest markets grew: China by 36.8%, Sri Lanka by 46.2%, the United States and Bangladesh by smaller margins. Over the first eight months of the year Nepal is still ahead, with 777,672 visitors against 736,562 in 2025, a rise of 5.58%.

Where the drop came from

India alone lost more visitors than Nepal lost overall. The country was down 3,236 visitors on August 2025; India was down 9,132. The difference was made up by growth among the other large markets. China is now more than a third bigger than a year ago, Sri Lanka close to half again, and the United States and Bangladesh both edged up.

Why India, and why August

The flood of 26 August is part of the answer, but it cannot be all of it. The Bhote Koshi flood destroyed the Rasuwagadhi crossing into Tibet, the overland route that carries Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims, and Nepali reporting on the figures links the drop to the disaster and to postponed trips. Many of those pilgrims are Indian. But the flood struck with five days of the month left, and a quarter of a market does not disappear in five days.

Much of the rest is the comparison. August 2025 was an unusually strong month, up 22% on August 2024, with India alone sending 35,505 people. Measured against that, even an ordinary August would have looked weak. The honest reading is a high base plus a Kailash route that closed at the end of the month; the September figures will show how much the flood itself cost. Our earlier piece on Kailash pilgrims and the Nepal route explains why that route matters so much to Indian visitors.

Who came instead

The growth came from Asia, with the long-haul markets steady. China’s 10,304 visitors continue a run we reported in July, when Chinese arrivals passed their pre-pandemic level for the first time. Sri Lanka, a smaller market, grew fastest of all. Visitors from other Asian countries, outside South Asia, totalled 18,275.

Further away, the Americas sent 7,473 people (up 2.47%) and Oceania 2,529 (up 3.86%). Europe sent 10,875, a little down on August 2025, when it made up 12.6% of a larger total; the United Kingdom sent 3,476. These are the markets that fill the autumn trekking trails, and in the month the floods hit, they held roughly steady.

What this means if you are planning a trip

What this means for you

August is Nepal’s wettest month and nobody’s peak, so a 3.6% dip says little about the season you are booking for. The numbers that matter come from October and November, and the trails that carry them, Everest and Annapurna, were not touched by the flood. Langtang is the exception, and we have paused our own departures there until the road is back. For the day-by-day picture, see Nepal trekking conditions right now. If you want a short first trek with the big mountain views, the Ghorepani Poon Hill trek runs four days from Pokhara, from US$410 for a solo traveller.

Is Nepal still getting more visitors in 2026 than in 2025?

Yes. From January to August 2026 Nepal received 777,672 international visitors, against 736,562 in the same months of 2025, an increase of 5.58%. August was the exception, not the trend.

Which country sends Nepal the most visitors?

India, by a distance. Even after a 25.7% fall, India sent 26,373 of August’s 85,444 visitors, more than China and Sri Lanka combined.

Sources: Nepal Tourism Board figures as reported by Radio Nepal (1 September 2026), OnlineKhabar (2 September) and HimalPress (8 September); August 2025 figures from the Nepal Tourism Board as reported by Republica. Percentage changes for India, the United States and Bangladesh are our calculation from those figures.

Cover photo: Bijay Chaurasia via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Section photos: Roman Saienko via Pexels (Pexels licence); Sushant Bista via Pexels (Pexels licence); Walter Coppola via Pexels (Pexels licence).