Kathmandu, Oct 19: Nearly 200,000 Nepalis travel abroad each year for tourism and pilgrimage, with Dashain serving as the peak travel season, according to the Department of Immigration.
The department recorded an annual average of 199,976 departures for tourism and pilgrimage between 2021 and 2025. In 2025 alone, 233,108 Nepalis travelled abroad for these purposes.
Thailand has traditionally been the leading destination for Nepali tourists booking through travel agencies, but the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is gaining popularity, according to the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA).
NATTA has warned it may boycott Thailand tour packages, citing financial risks caused by the country’s visa process. Applicants must provide confirmed flight tickets and hotel bookings without any guarantee of visa approval. If their applications are rejected, advance payments are not refunded, leaving travellers and travel agencies exposed to losses.
The tourism figures exclude Nepalis travelling abroad for employment, education, family visits, temporary or permanent residence, business, medical treatment and other purposes.
Immigration data show that 7.13 million Nepalis travelled abroad for various reasons over the past five years, with departures rising from 626,481 in 2021 to 1.7 million in 2025. The total peaked at 1.69 million in 2024.
Foreign employment accounted for 52 percent of departures, making it the largest category. An annual average of 743,682 Nepalis left for overseas jobs between 2021 and 2025, rising to 866,310 in 2025.
Tourism ranked second, accounting for about 14 percent of departures, followed by education. The number of Nepalis going abroad to study rose from around 26,000 in 2021 to 133,870 in 2025, a more than fourfold increase.
The department says the figures point to growing dependence on foreign employment and a shift towards education and long-term settlement abroad.
On average, 116,378 Nepalis travelled abroad each year to visit or join family members, while 74,881 left for temporary residence and 59,864 for permanent residence.
The UAE emerged as the most popular foreign destination over the five years, according to the department’s data. The figure includes Nepalis travelling for employment as well as other purposes.
The department’s figures also cover travel for conferences, training, business, medical care, government visits, cultural events, UN missions and sports.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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