Figures released in January 2020 showed Nepal welcomed about 1.19 million foreign tourists in 2019, its highest ever. About 996,000 arrived by air and 201,000 overland. Growth, however, slowed to around 2%, raising doubts about the Visit Nepal 2020 target of two million.
In short: 2019 remains Nepal's record year for arrivals. Within weeks, COVID-19 halted travel; Visit Nepal 2020 was suspended and Everest closed in March 2020.
Recovery
Arrivals recovered to about 1.15 million in 2024. See 2024 arrivals.