Tourist arrivals in May reached 22,278, an increase of 22 percent compared to the same month last year. While the inflow of Indian tourist arrivals is still good, the growth in May arrivals is not remarkable. Nepal Tourism Board said frequent bandas, demonstrations and the suspension of the travel plans because of their national elections affected arrivals by Indian nationals. The good news is that long haul markets like France, Germany, the UK and the US did very well, partially due to the trekking season. Compared to the boom tourist year of 1999, arrivals in May 2004 were still down by 42 percent.