Submit your Article

International tourism continued its post-pandemic recovery in the first six months of 2025 with a five percent growth. According to the latest World Tourism Barometer from the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), international tourist arrivals grew five percent to 690m in the first six months of 2025 compared to the same period of 2024. This is about four percent above pre-pandemic levels.

Africa posted the sharpest rise in arrivals, up 12 percent compared to the same period in 2024, with North Africa (14 percent) and Sub-Saharan Africa (11 percent) both recording double-digit growth. Asia-Pacific followed closely with an 11 percent increase, driven by a 20 percent surge in North-East Asia. However, international tourist arrivals in the region still remain eight percent below 2019 levels.

Europe, the world’s largest tourism market, welcomed nearly 340m visitors between January and June. Tourist arrivals to Europe grew four percent compared to 2024 and seven percent compared to the pre-pandemic levels, according to the report. While Central and Eastern Europe rebounded strongly (nine percent), the region still trails the pre-pandemic levels by 11 percent. 

The Americas recorded a modest three percent growth. South America (14 percent) recorded the highest gain, while North America and the Caribbean posted flat results, partly due to weaker demand from the United States. The Middle East saw a four percent year-on-year decline in arrivals in the review period. Despite the decline, international tourist arrivals in the region were 29 percent higher than the pre-pandemic levels.

According to the report, several destinations posted standout results in the review period. Japan and Vietnam (21 percent each), South Korea (15 percent), Morocco (19 percent), Mexico and the Netherlands (seven percent). France and Spain, the world’s top two tourist destinations, both reported five percent growth. The UNWTO said in its periodic report that the rebound was supported by rising air connectivity. Citing IATA, it said international passenger traffic and capacity rose seven percent year-on-year in the first half of 2025. Hotel occupancy reached 69 percent in June, slightly below last year, but matched 71 percent in July, it added.

Tourism receipts also recorded strong gains in the review period. According to the report, Japan (18 percent), the UK (13 percent), France (nine percent), Spain (eight percent) and Türkiye (eight percent) all reported robust earnings. Outbound spending from major markets such as China (16 percent), Spain (16 percent) and the UK (15 percent) also fueled demand, it added. UNWTO expects international tourist arrivals to grow by three percent to five percent in 2025.

The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has urged banks and financial institutions to operate essential banking and digital payment services through limited staff.

The central bank has instructed all licensed commercial banks, development banks, finance companies, and payment-related entities for business continuity.

The NRB stated in a notice it made public here today that this directive has been given to the BFIs in consideration of the provisions regarding the prohibitory order issued by Nepali Army on September 10.

The bank and financial institutions must provide essential banking and digital payment services by operating their sensitive systems through limited staff. For other systems, arrangements must be made to operate through remote access based on risk," stated the NRB.

Similarly, all BFIs have been urged to inform the public about their branches, ATMs, and available services that have been operationalized in the necessary services through their websites and social media. 

Two hydropower projects with a combined capacity of 58.8 MW have been completed on the Rahughat River and its tributaries flowing through Raghuganga Rural Municipality in Myagdi. Three more projects with a total capacity of 111 MW are in the final stages of construction. The 37.5 MW Chimkhola–Rahughat–Mangale Hydropower Project, developed by Tundi Power Company, and the 21.3 MW Thulokhola Hydropower Project, developed by Samyukta Urja Limited, have already started commercial production.

The Rahughat project is temporarily connected to the national grid through a switchyard at Tilkenichowar in Raghuganga-3. Prakash Timilsina, resident engineer of Tundi Power, said the electricity is being supplied through a temporary setup to avoid wastage, as construction of the Dandakhet–Rahughat transmission line is not yet complete.

An eight-kilometer 132 kV transmission line from Bandi to the Chimkhola–Rahughat–Mangale power plant in Chimkhola was jointly built by the Thulokhola and 22.5 MW Upper Thulokhola projects. In addition, a 220 kV transmission line from Chimkhola to Tilkeni was constructed in partnership by the Thulokhola, Upper Thulokhola, Chimkhola–Rahughat–Mangale, and Upper Rahughat projects.

According to Binod Poudel, Plant Manager of Samyukta Urja, the Thulokhola Hydropower Project, built in Kuinemangale of Raghuganga-8, was connected to the central transmission line in Bhadra and has since been operating at full capacity. The project, estimated to cost Rs 3.6bn, was financed by a consortium led by Nepal Bank Limited, along with Sunrise Bank, Rastriya Banijya Bank, and Siddhartha Bank. Water from the Thulokhola dam, located at the border of Kuinemangale and Chimkhola, is channeled through a 3,382-meter tunnel and a 634-meter penstock pipe to a powerhouse in Chhari for electricity generation.

Similarly, the Chimkhola–Mangale–Rahughat Project in Bandi, Raghuganga-8, diverts water through a 5.3-kilometer tunnel and a 950-meter penstock pipeline to its powerhouse in Bagar, Chimkhola (Raghuganga-7). The cost of the 48.5 MW Upper Rahughat Hydropower Project, promoted by Tundi Power alongside Chimkhola–Mangale–Rahughat, is estimated at Rs 14bn.

Meanwhile, Upper Rahughat is preparing for test production. The 40 MW Rahughat Project and the 22.5 MW Upper Thulokhola Project, both promoted by Raghuganga Hydro, a subsidiary of the Nepal Electricity Authority, are also nearing completion.

After a massive landslide struck Tatopani—the northern border point between Nepal and China—imports of Dashain goods from China have come to a halt. The Araniko Highway, blocked by a landslide in Bhotekoshi Rural Municipality-2’s Eco-area on Aug 2, has yet to fully reopen. Rajendra Prasad Chudal, head of the Tatopani Customs Office, said efforts are underway to clear the road, but warned it is unlikely to open before Dashain due to the severity of the situation.

With the road closed, around 1,700 containers have been stranded on the Chinese side at Tatopani, leaving traders in distress. Ramhari Karki, president of the Himalayan Cross-Border Chamber of Commerce, said more than 1,000 containers remain stuck. “There is no benefit in bringing goods meant for Dashain and Tihar after Dashain,” he said, adding that the narrow 30-meter border crossing requires the highway to be cleared quickly.

Karki noted that the Chamber has urged Nepal’s Consul General in Lhasa, Laxmi Prasad Niraula, to request China to release more containers. While Khasa Customs has agreed to increase shipments, imports remain stalled on the Nepali side because of the landslide.

Tatopani Customs Information Officer Surya Kafle said the Chinese side is preparing to send up to 20 containers daily once the road reopens. “We are in regular talks with Khasa Customs. But even if 20 containers are sent daily, goods meant for Dashain will not arrive on time,” he said. Goods must reach Kathmandu at least 10 days before Dashain to reach consumers, he added.

The Kodari section of the highway, shut for three weeks, reopened briefly for four days last week but was closed again Sunday after another landslide. Since then, the route has remained blocked.

Fruit traders are particularly hard hit. Sharada Parajuli, who imports fruits from China, said containers loaded with apples, mangoes, grapes, garlic, and onions are rotting. Traders have resorted to unloading containers at the border and carrying produce across the landslide with porters. Customs officials confirmed that about 100 containers of fruits have been transported this way, but they described it as a temporary and unsustainable solution.

Buddharaj Basnet, president of the Sindhupalchowk Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said many containers are stuck in Lhasa, Shigatse, and Nyalam, adding to traders’ financial burdens and loan pressures. Goods that once entered through the Kerung border in Rasuwa are now funneled through Tatopani, leaving importers increasingly stressed. “Goods imported from China are stranded on the road,” said Sujit Basnet, vice president of the Nepal Himalayan Cross-Border Chamber of Commerce. “The road is open for two days and closed for 10—that’s the government’s negligence.”

Three weeks ago, a high-level team was deployed to the landslide site following the intervention of local leaders, business organizations, and federal MP Madhav Sapkota. Under the direction of Physical Infrastructure and Transport Minister Devendra Dahal, engineers have begun drilling to drain trapped water, but continuous rainfall has triggered repeated landslides. According to Engineer Suraj Maharjan of the Charikot Road Division Office, around 250 meters of road has been damaged, including 50 meters completely washed away.

Imports of electric vehicles, electronics, and clothes from China—especially in demand for Dashain and Tihar—have been severely disrupted. Many traders have traveled to China to procure clothing, but uncertainty over road access has left them worried.

Federal MP Sapkota warned that unless the Tatopani landslide is addressed immediately and sustainably, festival-season prices could surge. “This landslide is not just a local problem. It is tied to the national economy and the kitchens of ordinary people,” he said. “With the border road blocked during the festivals, shortages of food, clothes, and other essentials are inevitable, and prices will soar.”

He urged the government to seek long-term solutions, including exploring the use of Chinese grants and replicating China’s landslide management technology from the Khasa region. “Nepali traders have invested heavily in the stranded containers,” he said. “If those goods are lost, it will directly harm Nepal’s economy. The government must act swiftly through diplomatic channels.”