Jai Nepal!

The number of tourist arrivals in Nepal in the first nine months of 2008 rose by 2% over the same period last year, officials said yesterday.

The Nepal Tourism Board said the negative growth seen from April to July had reversed and the arrivals in September were up by 1% as the total number of visitors arriving by air from January through the end of last month hit 257,181. "Tourists arrivals from the United States of America and Canada increased by 13% in September in comparison to the same month last year," it added.

Count me as part of the "surge."