With the country moving towards the direction of peace and stability, the number of tourists arriving Nepal via air has increased up by 13.8 percent during the month of June as compared to the same month of the last year.

Former Home Minister Dan Bahadur Shahi speaking to journalists after interrogation by the Rayamajhi Commission, Monday, July 03 06. nepalnews.com/rh

A total of 21,444 tourists visited Nepal during the month against 18,840 arrivals last June.

According to the data of the ministry of culture, tourism and civil aviation, the number of Indian visitors went up by 23 percent, while the non-Indian arrivals declined by a mere 0.7 percent.

A total of 14,189 Indian visitors came to Nepal in June against 11,532 tourists last June. The non-Indian tourist arrivals stood at 7,255 during the month, while the figure was 7,308 in June last year.

The arrivals, particularly from SAARC and South East Asia, however, remained negative.

Arrivals from China, Japan and Taiwan came down by 10.7 percent, 16.2 percent and 72.9 percent respectively.

From the European markets — Austria, Germany, France, Italy, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden and Spain — the number showed growth in arrivals by 148.5 percent, 79.4 percent, 43.4 percent, 14.1 percent, 25.6 percent, 21.4 percent, 7.5 percent and 35 percent respectively.

Tourist arrivals from Australia increased by 16.4 percent, while the arrivals from Denmark and UK went down by 42.5 percent and 3.7 percent respectively.

The total arrivals from January to June this year registered a growth of 8.9 percent to 121,595 tourists against 111,705 arrivals during the same period last year.