Kathmandu (dpa) – Nepal recorded a surge in tourist arrivals in 2011, government figures showed Wednesday. The Nepal Tourism Board said 719,547 tourists visited Nepal last year, 96,216 more than in 2010. Tourist arrivals in December were 20.4 percent higher than in December 2010. Nepal had promoted 2011 as its Tourism Year, launching various cultural programs to attract more visitors. The tourism sector has been hit by a Maoist insurgency, which started in 1996 and ended with a peace agreement 10 years later. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/VuVjl Tags: Nepal, Tourism Section: East Asia, Travel