Siddarthanagar, March 23: The number of domestic tourists visiting Lumbini, the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautam, is increasing lately, especially after the nation-wide lockdown was lifted last July.    

Tourism in Lumbini was adversely affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But following the lifting of the lockdown, more and more local tourists were visiting the place in an impressive number.    

Lumbini Development Trust’s Information Officer Rajan Basnet shared that Lumbini has received 141,579 domestic tourists since last July till date.    

Likewise, 5,748 Indian tourists visited Lumbini while 120 tourists from other foreign countries were recorded to have arrived here during this period, according to Basnet.    

The ban of international travel and seal of borders during the lockdown led to a restriction on human and traffic movements expect for the essential ones.    

As a result, there were not much foreigner tourists in Lumbini in the initial stage of lift of lockdown, informed member-secretary of the Fund, Sanuraja Shakya.    

Shakya shared that people would come here to meditate and get rid of negativity and anxiety emanating from the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and its negative effects on the economy.    

The Fund is launching various tourism promotion campaign for more and more tourists to Lumbini. Also, the Fund is coordinating efforts with other government agencies and the private sector to lure the tourists to the place where the apostle of peace, Lord Buddha, was born approximately 2,500 years ago.    

A team comprising tourism sectors experts and led by CEO of the Nepal Tourism Board Dr Dhananjaya Regmi had recently made an on-site visit to the site where Mayadevi had given birth to Siddhartha Gautam.