Whenever the government imposes any coercive rule on the public, its consequences have been seen in Nepal as a living example of this. Prime Minister Balen Shah’s government’s hunter on the India-Nepal border has proved to be completely ineffective.
The Nepal government had thought that by showing the fear of custom duty, it would stop its citizens from doing cheap shopping in India, but the public has flouted this ban to such an extent that even the big rulers are left wide eyed after seeing the new record. The recent survey of Nepal’s National Statistics Office (NSO) has revealed a truth which has shocked those who impose restrictions on the border.
Nepali people broke all records of foreign travel
The biggest reason for outbound tourism from Nepal is cross-border shopping, especially near the India-Nepal border. This interesting revelation has been made in a survey by NSO. The government agency conducted an in-depth study of foreign trips of Nepalese people under the domestic tourism survey. This survey was conducted between October 16, 2024 and October 15, 2025, to understand the travel trends of people in different seasons of the year.
Survey data shows that during this period, Nepalese citizens made more than 41 lakh trips to foreign countries. Out of these, 35 lakh journeys were such in which people went in the morning and returned on the same day. At the same time, in 6.22 lakh trips, people spent at least one night outside.
Largest crowd gathered on India-Nepal border
In the report of ‘Domestic Tourism Survey 2025’ released on Thursday, it has been said that the biggest reason for foreign trips taking place in a single day was shopping. Out of these total trips, about 63.9 percent people crossed the border only for the purpose of shopping. The report clearly indicates that shopping on the Nepal-India border has become the main reason for people to go abroad.
We all know that there is an open border between India and Nepal and the relationship between the two countries is often called ‘Roti-Beti’ relationship, which is an example of the deep social and cultural ties between the two countries. Apart from employment, marriage and family relationships, business has also always been very important. Nepali citizens living near the border often go to the nearby Indian markets to buy everyday goods, because there they get the same goods at much lower prices.
Balen Shah’s Hunter did not run on the public
Let us tell you that when Balen Shah’s government tried to implement the rule that customs duty would have to be paid on bringing goods worth more than 100 Nepali Rupees (NPR) from India, the people of the border areas and Indian businessmen had strongly opposed it. The situation became such that later the Supreme Court of Nepal had to intervene and this decision of the government was put on hold for the time being.
The survey data testifies that the largest number of one-day foreign trips by Nepalese people were to India. This clearly shows the strong economic and social relations between the two countries as well as the easy arrangement for movement across the border.
People from Madhesh and Lumbini provinces traveled abroad the most
Talking about the seven provinces of Nepal, the maximum number of one-day foreign trips were made from Madhesh province. At the same time, maximum number of such journeys were recorded from Lumbini province in which people stayed outside overnight. Both these provinces are directly connected to the border of India. According to the report, it is quite easy to travel to India from these two provinces, due to which people travel in large numbers for shopping, business, religious work and to meet relatives.
Nepalese citizens are shopping extensively in Indian markets
The survey also revealed that in all the seven provinces of Nepal, 70.7 percent of the total expenditure on single-day foreign trips was spent only on shopping. In particular, people from Madhesh and Lumbini provinces spent the most money on shopping, reflecting the strong cross-border trade with India. The report clearly says that among the foreign trips, the number of one-day trips to India is the highest.
If we talk about overnight trips abroad, the biggest reason for this was to meet friends and relatives (40.3 percent). After this, 19.6 percent people came to India for treatment and health services and the same number of people came to India for religious reasons. According to the survey, foreign travels of Nepalese people peak between November and January. During this period, 50.2 percent one-day trips and 32.7 percent overnight trips were recorded. Due to the festive season and excellent weather, this time is considered most suitable for travel.
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