Nepal Attracts Record Number of Tourists

Nepal had its best ever year for tourism in 2011, with most of the growth coming from neighboring India and China.

Once a must-see destination on the famed "hippy trail", Nepal was dealt a severe blow during the decade long civil war that ended in 2006, with tourist numbers dropping dramatically.

But the new data show a marked recovery, with tourism accounting for seven percent of gross domestic product -- more than $1 billion -- last year.

The Nepal Tourism Board said there were 719,547 visitors in 2011, including those travelling over land. Some 545,000 came through the country's only international airport in Kathmandu, 21% up on the previous year.