Nepal eyes 100,000 Bangladeshi tourists in 2026

Nepal is fast emerging as a preferred destination for Bangladeshi travellers. Around 48,000 Bangladeshis visited the Himalayan nation in 2024, a figure that rose to nearly 70,000 in 2025. The country now expects arrivals from Bangladesh to reach between 90,000 and 100,000 in 2026.

Bishnu Pandey, Managing Director of Himalayan Club Tours and Travel Pvt Ltd and Secretary of the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATA), shared the information while talking to media on the sidelines of this year’s Dhaka Travel Mart, reports The Bangladesh Monitor.

Himalayan Club Tours and Travel has been operating in the Bangladesh market since 2016. The agency works exclusively in the B2B segment, dealing directly with travel agencies rather than individual clients. Pandey said the company’s main objective at Dhaka Travel Mart 2026 was to strengthen existing partnerships and forge new ones.

He attributed Nepal’s growing popularity among Bangladeshi travellers to several factors, most notably the free on-arrival visa facility available once a year, the short one-hour flight duration, and the cultural and culinary similarities between the two countries.

Beyond the traditional tourist circuit of Kathmandu, Pokhara and Nagarkot, adventure and offbeat destinations are rapidly gaining popularity among Bangladeshi visitors. Mustang and Manang bike tours, stays in Ghandruk village, Everest Base Camp, Annapurna and Manaslu treks, paragliding, bungee jumping, hot-air balloon rides and white-water rafting are increasingly drawing travellers seeking something beyond the beaten track.

Pandey said food is rarely a concern for Bangladeshi tourists visiting Nepal. Halal food is widely available in major destinations such as Kathmandu, Pokhara and Nagarkot. Several restaurants specifically cater to Bengali tastes, serving dishes such as aloo bhorta, dal, chicken bhuna, mutton curry and other rice-based meals prepared with more spice than most Nepalis typically prefer.

Despite Nepal’s growing appeal, several challenges remain, with inadequate air connectivity being the most pressing, according to Pandey. At present, only two operators — Himalaya Airlines and Biman Bangladesh Airlines — run regular flights between the two countries. With limited competition, airfares have remained high, while the absence of a land route further restricts travel options.

Pandey expressed hope that new airlines would enter the route, noting that Bangladeshi private carrier Air Astra and Nepal’s Shree Airlines are both planning to launch flights on the Dhaka-Kathmandu route. He said he regularly raises the issue of increased air connectivity at forums and conferences, arguing that passenger demand is already strong enough to support additional services.

Speaking on bilateral tourism, Pandey said there is considerable untapped potential in both countries. While Bangladesh still has scope to further develop destinations such as Cox’s Bazar, shopping opportunities in Bangladesh hold genuine appeal for Nepali visitors. Himalayan Club Tours and Travel actively promotes Bangladesh in Nepal, although interest among Nepali tourists remains modest for now.

Pandey also called for stronger institutional engagement between the two countries, urging Bangladesh’s tourism board to participate in travel exhibitions in Nepal, just as Nepali operators attend events such as Dhaka Travel Mart.