KATHMANDU: Nepal recorded 91,363 international visitor arrivals in June 2026, marking a 19.5 percent increase over the same month last year and surpassing pre-pandemic June 2019 levels by 22 percent, according to data released by the Nepal Tourism Board — figures that align with what has been an unusually strong off-season on the ground, particularly in destinations like Pokhara where Indian visitors have driven hotel occupancy to 90 percent in recent weeks.

The June figures represent a significant milestone for Nepal's tourism recovery, comfortably exceeding both the 76,425 visitors recorded in June 2025 and the 74,883 who arrived in June 2019 — the benchmark year for pre-Covid tourism performance.

India remained Nepal's single largest source market by a considerable margin, contributing 41,809 visitors or 45.76 percent of total June arrivals. The United States came in second with 11,836 arrivals, accounting for 12.95 percent of the total, followed by China at 9,995 visitors or 10.94 percent. Bangladesh ranked fourth with 4,322 arrivals and Australia fifth with 2,896.

The dominance of Indian arrivals in the national data reflects a pattern that has been strikingly visible at the destination level. In Pokhara, what the tourism industry typically treats as the off-season between the spring and autumn peaks has turned into a windfall this year, with Indian visitors filling hotels, crowding the lakeside promenade and keeping Fewa Lake's boat operators busier than they have been in years. The surge began around the Nepali New Year and has continued well into June, driven largely by Indians seeking an escape from the intense summer heat back home.

Indian visitors in Pokhara have spread across the city's religious and natural attractions — the Tal Barahi Temple on Fewa Lake, Vindyabasini, Kedareshwar, Pukhdo's Shiva Temple and the trail to Muktinath among the most frequented — while also taking up paragliding, rafting, bungee jumping and short trekking routes. Accommodation demand has been spread across the full range, from five-star hotels to budget lodges and dharamshalas. At Barahi Ghat on Fewa Lake, boats have been running at full capacity daily, with operators saying the familiar sight of waiting at the shore and returning empty-handed has largely disappeared this season.

For an industry that has long written off this period as one to simply endure, the current season is prompting a broader rethink. Tourism operators and stakeholders in Pokhara have noted that if Nepal were to invest more actively in promoting its religious and natural destinations to Indian audiences, the potential for sustained year-round Indian visitor arrivals would be considerably larger than what is currently being captured. The growing sense within the trade is that Indian tourism, if nurtured with targeted promotion and consistent hospitality, could become a reliable pillar of Nepal's year-round visitor economy rather than a seasonal bonus.

Regionally, South Asia, led overwhelmingly by India, accounted for the largest share of June arrivals at 52.82 percent of the total. Other Asian markets contributed 17.68 percent, the Americas 14.36 percent and Europe 7.61 percent. Oceania accounted for 3.38 percent, with the Middle East and Africa making up the remainder.

The Nepal Tourism Board said the figures reflect growing global confidence in Nepal as a travel destination and momentum toward the country's ambition of positioning itself as a Lifetime Experience Destination.