BUTWAL, Dec 5: Tourist arrivals are increasing this year in Lumbini, which was deserted due to the coronavirus pandemic for the past two years. With the increase in tourist arrivals, the tourism business in the Lumbini region, which was severely affected by the coronavirus pandemic, has started to gather pace.
According to the Lumbini Development Trust, there has been a 116 percent increase in the number of tourists till October this year compared to last year. Last year, 289,695 people visited Lumbini internally and externally till October 2021. According to the Trust, this number increased to 626,452. According to Haridhwaj Rai, head of Information and Public Relations of Lumbini Development Trust, 605 passport-carrying tourists visited Lumbini till October last year, and 13,166 in 2022.
Rai said that the number of tourists visiting Lumbini decreased significantly due to the coronavirus pandemic last year and the previous year. He said that since the beginning of the current year, the arrival of domestic and foreign tourists has been increasing since the risk of Covid-19 is decreasing. According to the Trust, there has been an increase in the number of domestic and Indian tourists in Lumbini than tourists from third countries. In the last few years, Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, has been considered as a major destination by domestic tourists.
Last year, 270,422 Nepali tourists visited Lumbini even during the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the Trust, 463,677 domestic tourists have visited Lumbini till the month of October this year. Apart from that, the number of people visiting Lumbini from various schools and colleges of Northern parts has also increased.
Tourists are attracted by Mayadevi Temple, Ashoka Pillar, Pushkarani Kund, Vishwa Shanti Stupa and boat trips on the Central Canal. Along with Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, Buddhist sites such as Tilaurakot, Devdah, Kapilvastu have not been able to develop sufficient infrastructure and promote the tourists’ stay. Tourism professionals say that if arrangements can be made to provide tourism to Lumbini and other Buddhist sites such as Tilaurakot, Devdah and Ramgram, which are connected to the Buddha circuit along with Buddha's birthplace Lumbini, it will help in promoting tourism in those places as well.