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Tourists visiting Lumbini up by 40.57 percent

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Number of tourists visiting Lumbini, the birth place of Lord Buddha, increased by 40.57 percent to 1.19 million in 2014.

According to the data of Lumbini Development Fund (LDF), a total of 849,273 tourists had visited Lumbini last year. In 2012, Lumbini had welcomed 758,269 visitors.

Hari Dhwoj Rai, information officer of LDF, said tourists from 83 different countries visited Lumbini in 2014. Domestic tourists topped the list of tourist visiting Lumbini in 2014, followed by visitors from India. A total of 902,621 Nepalis visited Lumbini in 2014, up from 573,529 in 2013.

Likewise, a total of 154,217 Indian tourists visited Lumbini in 2104 compared to 150,000 in 2013. Similarly, Lumbini welcomed 136,999 third country tourists in 2014 compared to 125,492 in 2013.

Among third countries, Sri Lanka, Thailand, China, Myanmar, South Korea, Vietnam and Japan were the major tourist generating markets for Lumbini. Lumbini welcomed 37,600 tourists from Sri Lanka, 24,733 from Thailand, 20,718 from China, 18,777 from Myanmar, 8,790 from South Korea, 3,649 from Vietnam, and 2,527 from Japan in 2013. Similarly, arrivals from US, Australia, UK, Germany, Switzerland and France also increased in 2014.

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“Number of tourists to Lumbini increased due to stable political situation in the country following the successful Constituent Assembly (CA) election promotion of Nepali tourism products and services in the international market,” Rai said, adding, “Visit of foreign diplomats during the recently held SAARC Summit also helped to promote Lumbini.”

Number of international conferences like International Buddhist Conference and International conference of SAARC Psychiatric Federation also helped to increase the number of tourists in Lumbini, according to Rai.

Source: Myrepublica

Nepal, Sri Lanka set to revive direct air link

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Nepal, Sri Lanka set to revive direct air link

The relationship between Sri Lanka and Nepal may strengthen once the two nations resume direct air travel service between Colombo and Kathmandu early next year.

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Buddhists monks pray outside the Maya Devi temple in Lumbini, Nepal, the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha.Nepal and Sri Lanka are set to re-establish direct air service, making it easier for Sri Lankan Buddhists to visit the holy site. [Prakash Mathema/AFP]

The two countries signed an Air Service Agreement (ASA) to establish direct service between their two capital cities in 2009, and it is projected to become reality in March 2015. “Mihin Lanka airline is set to start direct flight from Colombo to Kathmandu starting March. All necessary preparations have already been made to this effect,” Sri Lankan Ambassador W. M. Senevirathna told Khabar South Asia.

Sri Lanka’s other state-owned airline, Sri Lankan Airlines, will likely begin its own direct service to Kathmandu once it completes renewal of its long-haul fleet, the ambassador said. Mohan Krishna Sapkota, a spokesman at Nepal’s Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, confirmed the arrangement. “We expect this to help boost Nepal’s tourism and bolster friendship between the two countries,” he told Khabar.

Nepal’s national flag carrier — then known as Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation — had weekly direct service from Kathmandu to Colombo until the early 1980s. Escalating domestic terrorism in Sri Lanka and air safety issues in Nepal caused suspension of the service.

Special cultural relations between Nepal and Sri Lanka

As home to Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha , Nepal has special cultural and religious relations with Sri Lanka, where over 70 percent of the population is Buddhist.

According to the Nepal Tourism Board, in 2011, nearly 60,000 Sri Lankan nationals traveled to Nepal – mainly visiting Lumbini. In 2012, nearly 70,000 visited.

“As direct flights between the two countries make travel a lot easier, we expect more Sri Lankan nationals to visit Nepal in coming years,” Ajit Man Tamang of the Lumbini Development Trust told Khabar.

Tamang added that Sri Lankan tourists constitute the largest number of tourists visiting Lumbini, followed by Burmese and Thai.

Source: Khabar South Asia