So, which month of the year does Nepal welcome the highest number of tourists? Its October, which accounted for 13.18 percent of total visitors in 2011. It is followed by November (11.34 percent), August (9.70), March (9.18 percent), and December (8.16 percent). The total (provisional) tourist arrival in 2010 and 2011 was 602,855 and 735,965 respectively. By the way, the number of tourists has increased in all months in 2011 compared to the months in 2010, thanks to the increasing inflow of Chinese tourists. Here is a related article on Nepal Tourism Year 2011.
Tourist arrivals by month in 2010 and 2011
Here is the number of tourist arrivals via the main entry points:
| Tourist arrival (entry points), 2011 | ||
| Entry point | Arrival | Departure |
| TIA (Air) | 544,985 | 612,845 |
| Bhairahawa | 129,427 | 122,351 |
| Kodari | 53,536 | 35,590 |
| Kakarvitta | 5,049 | 4,265 |
| Kanchanpur | 1,628 | 1,328 |
| Birganj | 1,025 | 1,189 |
| Nepalganj | 271 | 405 |
| Dhangadhi | 44 | 38 |
| Total | 735,965 | 778,011 |
Now, where do you think should the government upgrade tourism infrastructure? Undoubtedly, the only international airport and the border points from where a high number of tourists enter Nepal. The infrastructure and services inside and outside of the airport is pretty horribly despite paying premium prices when compared to the cost of using similar infrastructure, services, and security in other developing countries. No wonder Nepal’s tourism industry is uncompetitive and ranked 112 out of 139 economies in the latest Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI). In terms of tourism infrastructure (including hotel rooms) and ground transport, Nepal ranked 130 and 135, respectively, out of 139 economies in TTCI 2011. In terms of safety and security in tourism industry, Nepal ranked 127 out of 139 economies. Meanwhile, with appropriate infrastructure and services industry, the border areas (mainly Bhairahawa for Indian tourists and Kodari for Chinese tourists) can see robust tourism activities and expenditure before the tourists embark on trips to popular tourist destinations in the country.
