LUMBINI, June 21: “It has been around 20 days since I have not been able to sell a single handicraft item. There is no alternative business. I am finding it hard to sustain livelihood,” said Bishnu Bahadur Basnet, who runs a handicraft business at Lumbini Bus Park. He is struggling to pay shutter rent, electricity and water bills as his business is now down.
Pintu Lal Baniya is also worried about his business. "I am struggling to operate my hotel with low income," he said. He opened a hotel named Hotel Green Lumbini View eight years ago with the investment of Rs 50 million. Economic crisis has had its impact in the hotel sector, complained another entrepreneur Abdul Mobin.
"COVID-19 hit my business of operating a boat in the central canal the same year as I started it. The business recovered after two years. But, the economic crisis has hit again," he said.
The situation is in the recovery phase, and the influx of tourists is also increasing. But, there is a setback. Thousands of pilgrims have visited Lumbini each year, he said. "Followers of Buddhism from across the globe visit Lumbini. But, the business is not good here due to a lack of a balance between the business location and the mobility of tourists and pilgrims," he said.
Tourists increasing in Pokhara
A total of 470,542 tourists visited Lumbini from January to May in 2023. The figure was an increment of 108,486 as compared to 362,056 during the same period in 2022. Although the inflow of tourists to Lumbini increased significantly, the business is not increasing, said Huseni Lodh, President of the Lumbini Tourism Entrepreneur Association.
The business location, situated around two kilometers from Maya Devi Temple (the birthplace of Gautam Buddha), poses a setback for business activities, according to Lodh. He argued that the distance between the business location and the tourist destination affects business prospects negatively. He demanded arrangements to be made for establishments to operate nearby, as the area experiences a high mobility of people due to visitors reaching the Maya Devi Temple.
Lodh expressed his dissatisfaction with the decision of the Lumbini Development Trust to increase the number of entrepreneurs from 34 to 70 and relocate the establishments near the Bus Park. He stated that this move has adversely affected businesses, which used to thrive when they were closer to the temple.
Entrepreneurs mentioned that the business decline is primarily due to the short stays of tourists visiting Lumbini. For instance, Indian tourists often arrive through Indian travel agencies, land in Lumbini on tourist buses, stay for two or three hours, and then depart. Govinda Gyawali, the President of the Lumbini Hotel Association, emphasized the need to extend tourists' stays, suggesting that if visitors could stay for at least one night, it would have a positive impact. The reliance on Indian travel agencies and guides has contributed to this situation, and it is recommended that Nepali guides be employed for visiting Indian tourists.
Dr Tilak Acharya, the registrar of the Lumbini Buddhist University, suggested that by developing Lumbini as a significant spiritual center and a peace city, connecting it with Tilaurakot, Ramgram, and Devdaha (areas associated with the life of Buddha), the stay of tourists could be prolonged. According to him, tourism business would increase by creating an environment conducive to spiritual activities, ensuring the availability of necessary resources for tourism, providing peace and security, and constructing infrastructure.
Manmohan Chaudhary, the former mayor of Lumbini Sanskritik Municipality, agreed with Dr. Acharya and stressed the importance of spiritual activities and physical infrastructure development to attract both domestic and foreign tourists. He also emphasized the need for a comprehensive tour package for the holistic development of Lumbini.
To attract tourists from Buddhist countries who can afford to spend money, Santosh Pandey, the Minister for Internal Affairs, Law, and Cooperatives of Lumbini Province, highlighted the importance of collaboration among the federal, provincial, and local governments. He mentioned that efforts are underway to attract tourists and extend their stays by providing access to archaeological and religious sites surrounding Lumbini. Pandey also suggested that marketing Lumbini to Indian cities such as Bodh Gaya, Kushinagar, Sarnath, Ayodhya, Haridwar, and Varanasi could attract Indian tourists. He emphasized the need for the government to recognize the significance of Lumbini and act accordingly for its development, emphasizing that Lumbini is a globally important and sacred place that requires at least a week to explore fully.
Haridhoj Rai, an information officer for the Trust, stated that the gradual completion of various heritage projects in the area could increase the flow of tourists. He highlighted the necessity of collaboration among all levels of government to achieve this.
According to Rai, most domestic tourists visiting Lumbini do not even stay for a day, while the average stay for tourists from third countries has increased to 1.88 days. The increasing number of visiting tourists has raised the international profile of Lumbini, as mentioned by Abadhesh Kumar Tripathi, the Trust's vice president.
(RSS)
