The number of visitor arrivals in Nepal by air in January 2009 decreased compared with the same month last year, according to a press release on Monday.

The figures released by Nepal's Immigration Office of Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in the Nepali capital Kathmandu revealed that arrival figures in the month of January 2009 decreased by 15.8 percent to 21,944 compared with January 2008, said the press release issued by Nepal Tourism Board on Monday.

However, the entire South Asian region gained positive growth except for arrivals from India. Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan registered growth of 6.6 percent, 13.3 percent and 29.9 percent, respectively.

India witnessed a negative growth of 17.6 percent.

Similarly, other Asian countries, China, Singapore and Thailand, maintained a upward trend with 48.8 percent, 30.3 percent and 29.8 percent of growth, respectively.

However, arrivals from Japan and South Korea witnessed a negative growth in the arrival figures by 20.7 percent, and 54.9 percent respectively.

The entire European markets, except for Belgium (31.8 percent) and Denmark (27.8 percent), registered negative growth in comparison with the same month last year.

A total of 26,632 foreign tourists departed from TIA in January 2009. The number of Nepalese arrivals stood at 48,503 while 46,601 Nepalese departed from TIA in January 2009.

(Xinhua News Agency February 2, 2009)