Kathmandu - The number of tourist arrivals in Nepal in the first nine months of 2008 rose by 2 per cent over the same period last year, officials said Friday.

The rise in the number of people visiting the Himalayan nation was seen as the tourist season got under way and the country expected a surge in the number of arrivals over the coming three months.

The Nepal Tourism Board said the negative growth seen from April to July had reversed and the arrivals in September were up by 1 per cent as the total number of visitors arriving by air from January through the end of last month hit 257,181.

The tourist figures were only for arrivals by air, and the board's Sharad Pradhan estimated that another 50,000 tourists travelled overland to Nepal.

Officials said the growth could be attributed to growing political stability and better air connectivity to the country.

The rise was pushed by a surge in visitors from South Asia, Oceania and North America.

"India, the largest tourist-generating market for Nepal, showed remarkable growth of 14 per cent in September, and the South Asian region posted an overall growth of 13 per cent," the board said.

"Tourists arrivals from the United States of America and Canada increased by 13 per cent in September in comparison to the same month last year," it added.

The board said, however, that a slowdown was seen in arrivals from East Asia.

Airlines have increased their flights to Kathmandu because of growing demand, and Thai Airways International on Friday announced it was increasing its flights between Bangkok and Kathmandu.

The airline said it was adding three more flights per week beginning October 26, bringing its weekly scheduled flights between the two capitals to 10.

The tourism industry is one of Nepal's biggest foreign exchange earners, bringing in millions of dollars to the impoverished country and providing employment to hundreds of thousands of people.

However, its tourism industry suffered during the heights of the Maoist insurgency from early 2000. At the end of 2006, the Maoists signed a peace pact, agreeing to lay down their arms and join the government. Thereafter, tourist arrivals have undergone a jump. (dpa)