Kakarbhitta immigration office records 7,642 tourist arrivals in 9 months

JHAPA: Nepal received 7,642 tourists from third countries through the eastern border at Kakarbhitta, Jhapa, in the first nine months of current fiscal year 2025/26, the Immigration Office, Kakarbhitta said.

Chief of the Immigration Office, Kakarbhitta, Tulsi Bhattarai, said visitors came from 81 countries during the period. He said Bhutanese nationals topped the list of arrivals, followed by nationals of the United States, Thailand, Australia and the United Kingdom.

The Immigration Office also stated that a total of 4,154 tourists entered Nepal during the period through the Kakarbhitta point. Bhattarai gave a nationality breakdown, saying 1,612 Americans, 525 Thais, 229 Australians and 182 British nationals entered via the eastern border.

Most tourists told officials they planned to visit Lumbini, Pokhara, Kathmandu, Chitwan, Gorkha and other major destinations in Nepal, Bhattarai added.

The office reported that 9,942 tourists from third countries left Nepal through the same border point during the review period. Likewise, more than 3,000 Nepalis who had been abroad for study and other purposes returned home via Kakarbhitta.

Officials said the number of tourists arriving through the Kakarbhitta point had decreased compared with the same period last year.