A total of 1,147,567 foreign tourists arrived in Nepal in 2024, the third highest since 2018, showed official figures released on Wednesday.

The figure marked a 13-percent rise over 2023, according to a report from the Nepal Tourism Board.

It noted that Indians, Americans and Chinese were the main sources of foreign arrivals in Nepal.

"Despite year-on-year increment, the number failed to reach pre-Covid figures," Mani Raj Lamichhane, director of the board, told Xinhua.

Nepal received 1,173,072 and 1,197,191 foreign visitors in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

Tourism is a major foreign currency earner and job creator for Nepal.

xinhua