Kathmandu, Sep 9 (IANS): A total of 720,334 foreigners visited Nepal in the first eight months of this year, the second highest since 2019, but not as high as expected by the authorities.

The figure was released by Nepal Rastra Bank, the country's central bank.

A total of 739,323 foreigners arrived in Nepal in the first eight months of 2019, as against 601,360 during the same period of 2023, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Though tourist arrivals have increased compared with last year, it is below our expectation. We had expected the number to surpass the record in 2019," said Mani Raj Lamichhane, director at the Nepal Tourism Board.

He attributed the decline in foreign arrivals in July and August of this year in particular to plane crashes and frequent traffic accidents.

Nepal's tourism earnings increased to 82.32 billion Nepali rupees (614 million U.S. dollars) in the 2023-24 fiscal year, up from 62.2 billion rupees (464 million dollars) in 2022-23.

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