Kathmandu�According to the Nepal Tourism Statistics-2018 released by Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, a total of 1,163,072 tourists have visited Nepal in the year 2018. The number has increased by 24.77 percent from 2017. Male tourists accounted for 624,928 while 547,144 were female. In 2017, 940,218 tourists visited Nepal through both roadways and airways. Though the number of tourists� arrival has increased, the duration of their stay has declined compared to previous years. The average stay of tourists in Nepal in 2018 was 12.4 days against 12.6 days in 2017. Most of the tourists visiting Nepal came for entertainment purposes or to visit religious destinations. In 2018, 703,843 tourists arrived in Nepal for entertainment purpose while 187,612 tourists visited for religious purposes.