Nepal floods kill over 1,450, cripple tourism as peak season begins

September 28, 2026 at 10:28 AM1 min

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Catastrophic floods in Nepal last month killed more than 1,450 people and destroyed key highways, triggering widespread tourist cancellations at the start of the peak September-November season. Tourism, which accounts for nearly 8 percent of Nepal's GDP and employs over 1 million people, faces severe disruption even in areas unaffected by the floods.

Key Facts

Floods and landslides in Nepal killed more than 1,450 people and destroyed key highways.
Tourism accounts for nearly 8 percent of Nepal's GDP and employs more than 1 million people.
Nepal received more than 1.15 million tourists last year, nearly a third of them during the September-November season.
The floods were triggered by a glacial mountain collapse along the Nepal-Tibet border in the north.

Tourism Sector Impact

Pushpraj Rimal, a tour planner and taxi driver in Kathmandu, reported that most foreign tourists cancelled their plans this year due to the floods. Rimal, who works on commission for hotels and trekking companies in Kathmandu and Pokhara, said he has done only one fourth of his usual seasonal business. He had rented two cars for two months but now expects no commissions from hotels or trek organisers and little taxi income. Seeta Nepali, 61, and her husband Ramakant Nepali, 68, who sell homemade buttermilk on the Kathmandu-Pokhara-Chitwan highway, said the floods reached them by way of no buyers.

Economic Consequences

The floods have pushed tourists away from unaffected areas as well, deepening the economic impact on communities dependent on tourism. Rimal said he will be unable to buy promised tablets for his children, Hema, 14, and Rahul, 12, during the Dussain festival in October. The disaster has disrupted the livelihoods of more than 1 million people employed in Nepal's tourism sector.