Kathmandu, 19 December.
Nepal has received foreign investment commitments of about 24.35 billion rupees (c. 183 million USD) in the first five months of the current fiscal year, out of which, 48 percent are associated with the tourism sector, according to a report released by the Department of Information (DoI) on Sunday.
Ninety-five projects in the tourism sector, 74 in the service sector, 19 in the manufacturing sector, 5 in the information and communication sector, and 4 in the infrastructure sector have secured investment commitments as of mid-December 2023.
However, the investment commitments have skewed largely towards small industries. During the review period, investment commitments were made to 189 small, seven medium, and three large industries.
Nepal’s tourism sector was hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns and travel restrictions. The positive indicator of investment commitment coincides with the increase in the number of tourist arrivals. 117,000 international tourists came to Nepal in October this year.