Foreign tourist arrivals in Nepal grew by 12.1 per cent in September despite devastating floods in late August, the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) reported.
A total of 88,248 foreign tourists visited Nepal in September, up from 78,711 during the same month last year.
The floods, caused by an avalanche near the Nepal-China border, killed at least 1,453 people and left 5,285 missing, including 636 foreigners, mainly along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river corridors.
Images of destruction, including washed-out roads and collapsed bridges in northern Nepal, led many potential visitors to believe the entire country was affected, prompting cancellations.
To counter the tourism slump, government and private sectors launched the #NepalCalling campaign, assuring that most of Nepal remained safe except for the flood-affected corridors.
The September-November peak season contributes nearly 40 per cent of Nepal's annual tourist arrivals.
topped the list of visitors in September with 17,425 arrivals, a 12 per cent increase year-on-year, followed by China with 11,212 visitors, an increase of 114.1 per cent.
The United States ranked third with 8,299 tourists, followed by Sri Lanka (7,108) and Australia (4,842).
By region, South Asia accounted for 34.09 per cent with 30,085 tourists, other Asian countries contributed 19,888 arrivals, and Europe saw 15,148 visitors.
However, tourist arrivals from Europe declined by 8.7 per cent, while Oceania decreased by 25.9 per cent and the Americas fell by 12.3 per cent compared to last September.
