March 24: 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 COVID-19 pandemic. But following the lifting of the lockdown, 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 sealing of borders during the lockdown led to restriction on human and traffic movements expect for the essential ones.    
As a result, there were not much foreigner tourists in Lumbini, informed member-secretary of the Fund, Sanuraja Shakya.    
Shakya shared that people would come here to mediate and get rid of negativity and anxiety emanating from the spread of COVID-19 pandemic and its negative effects on the economy.    
The Fund is launching various tourism promotion campaign to attract more tourists to Lumbini. Also, the Fund is coordinating efforts with other government agencies and private sector to lure the tourists to the place where the apostle of peace, Lord Buddha, was born approximately 2,500 years ago. -- RSS