KATHMANDU, Jan. 2.2025 (BSS/Xinhua) -- 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.

Lamichhane blamed frequent traffic accidents and plane crashes for slow growth in foreign arrivals in Nepal.

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