4 July, KATHMANDU: The tourist arrivals in June 2013 have decreased by 4.6 percent to 41,259 compared to the same month last year. 

In aggregate, the South Asian segment has registered negative growth of 12.5 per cent.

According to the figures released by Immigration Office, Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), the arrival of Indian tourists has decreased by 15.3 per cent. Also, arrival from Pakistan has decreased by 28.8 per cent though Bangladeshi and Sri Lanka tourists’ arrivals increased by 53.8 per cent and 62.9 per cent respectively.

Arrivals from Asia (other than South Asia) also recorded a positive growth of 20.8 per cent in aggregate. The visitor arrivals from China grew by 25.7 per cent compared to the same month last year.

Similarly, the arrivals from Malaysia and Singapore have also increased by 195.1 per cent and 3.5 per cent respectively.
However, the tourist arrivals from Japan, South Korea and Thailand markets saw declines of 10.5 per cent, 23.4 per cent and 18.8 per cent respectively.

An overall positive growth of 1.4 per cent has been observed from the European markets with arrivals from markets such as the UK, Germany and the Netherlands.

However, French and Russian tourists arrivals declined by 2.3 per cent and 10.6 per cent respectively compared to the same month last year.

Tourist arrivals from Australia have increased by 33.3 per cent. However arrivals from New Zealand, Canada and the USA have decreased by 5.6 per cent, 12.9 per cent and 2.3 per cent respectively, according to the press statement.
Between January to June 2013, international tourist arrivals to Nepal have declined by 3.9 per cent to 282,429 in aggregate.

The entrepreneurs made such remark at the general assembly of Journalists’ Association for Tourism (JAT) Nepal in the capital today.

Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Sushil Ghimire urged the journalists to disseminate news by being based on truth and facts as misleading news would have a far-reaching impacts in tourism sector.
Ghimire said that it is sad for the tourism sector not to appoint chief executive officer at the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and not to bring aircraft by the Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC).He also assured to take initiative to this effect.

Jimma Jambu Sherpa, Chairman of the Nepal Mountaineer’s Association, Chairman of the Nepal Rafting Association, Nanikaji Thapa, Chairman of the Nepal Tour Operators’ Association, Ashok Pokhrel, tourism experts Divya Aang Chhiring Sherpa and Prachandaman Shrestha, among others, expressed their views on inseparable relations between tourism entrepreneurs and tourism journalists.