Industry & Tourism

Indian Tourists to Nepal Hit a Record High in 2026 — and They're Here to Trek

A record 40,782 Indians flew into Nepal in May 2026, up 32.66% on a year earlier, and more of them are swapping shopping and casinos for trekking.

By Anjali Shrestha · Jun 27, 2026

For most of the last half-century, Indians came to Nepal to shop, gamble, or pray. In 2026 they are increasingly coming to walk — and they are arriving in numbers Nepal has never seen. In May 2026 alone, 40,782 Indian visitors flew into Nepal — the highest…

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Part of a much bigger wave

It is part of a much bigger wave. More than 30 million Indians travel abroad every year , and the country's outbound-travel market is projected to nearly triple over the next decade. Nepal — a short hop away, visa-free, and familiar — is perfectly placed to…

Travel Himalaya Nepal · News

From shopping trips to summit treks

Nepal Tourism Board data shows a clear generational shift in why Indians come. The shopping tourism of the 1970s–90s gave way to casinos and city breaks in the 2000s–2010s; today the fastest-growing reason is adventure — trekking, nature and pilgrimage. "The…

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Why Nepal is suddenly the easy choice

"Nepal has become attractive because Indian travellers do not need visas, Indian currency and QR payments are accepted in many places, and visitors can even bring their own vehicles," said Nepal Tourism Board director Mani Raj Lamichhane. Add airfares that…

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Pilgrims are coming too

Pilgrimage is surging alongside the trekking boom. China raised the 2026 Kailash Manasarovar quota to 24,000 pilgrims (from 20,000 in 2025) routed through Nepal — and demand has already passed 40,000, spilling naturally into trekking and sightseeing add-ons…

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