Kathmandu, Nov. 2 -- Arrivals from the United States have overtaken those from India to become Nepal's largest source of foreign tourists for the first time, as a sharp decline in Indian visitors amid the fallout from the August floods reshaped the country's tourism market in October.

Nepal received 17,437 American tourists in October, a 31.24 percent increase from the same month last year, according to data released by the Nepal Tourism Board, the country's tourism promotion agency. The number more than doubled from September, when 8,299 Americans visited Nepal.

India, traditionally Nepal's largest tourism source market, slipped to second place. The country received 12,097 Indian visitors in October, down 30 percent from the same month...