Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, has been visited by tourists and pilgrims from 106 countries in a year. In 2025, more than half of the world's tourists, excluding Indians, visited Lumbini, the source of world peace.

Tourists from China, the world's largest country, to Liechtenstein, a small European country with a population of 40,197 and an area of ​​160 square kilometers, visited Lumbini last year. Tourists and pilgrims from the nearest country, China, to Chile, the farthest South American country, visited Lumbini.

10,789 tourists came from China, while 32 tourists came from Chile, 17,779 km away from Nepal. 177 tourists from Israel, which is targeted by the militant group Hamas, and 95 from Ukraine, which has been devastated by the Russian invasion, have also visited Lumbini in search of peace.

The number of foreign tourists and pilgrims in Lumbini has increased significantly. Compared to the previous year, 2024, the tourist arrival increased by 26 percent last year. Although this has increased the enthusiasm for tourist arrivals, no one has been able to benefit from Lumbini's development as a one-day tourist destination due to the failure to increase their length of stay.

In 2025, 140,969 tourists from 106 countries visited. In 2024, 111,403 tourists from 100 countries visited, while in 2023, 76,210 tourists from 85 countries visited. In 2022, 23,992 foreign tourists from 96 countries visited.

In 2021, 1,197 foreign tourists from 68 countries visited. Despite the increase in foreign tourists for the past 4 years, the crow is not happy or surprised, said Lumbini Hotel Association President Leelamani Sharma. He said that Lumbini, which has immense potential, has nothing to do but stare at it as a jewel.

'Since the tourists have not been able to increase their stay by attracting them, the local and state governments have not been able to get anything,' he said. 'Tourists who come for a few hours leave without giving anything except throwing garbage.' Tourism entrepreneur Bishnu Basnet said that it is as if the local, state and federal governments have failed to provide goods and have not been able to do anything.

27 tourists came from the Islamic Muslim country of Iran, 12 from Pakistan and 292 from Bangladesh. Tourists from conflict-ridden Sudan to Syria, Turkey and Somalia came here. Similarly, one tourist each from 12 countries including Ghana, Benin, Croatia, Kenya, Malawi, Panama, Cyprus, Qatar, Dominican Republic and Switzerland came.

The highest number of tourists came from Sri Lanka, with 32,287 people. Similarly, 19,891 tourists came from Thailand in second place and 18,528 from Myanmar, which is under strict restrictions by the military regime, in third place. Similarly, 10,089 tourists came from China in fourth place. China, which was third in the number of tourist arrivals in 2024, dropped to fourth place in 2025, while Myanmar, which was fourth, rose to third place. 8,615 tourists came to Lumbini from Vietnam, which was fifth in 2025.

Indians and Nepalis decreased

Indian tourists increased after the arrival of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then Indian spiritual guru Murari Bapu in 2079 Jestha. The highest number of Indian tourists in 2024 decreased in 2025. Compared to 2024, 7 percent Nepalese and 10 percent Indians decreased in 2025. Similarly, in 2025, 270,387 Indians visited, while in 2024, 3889 people visited. Before that, 266,510 people visited in 2023 and 230,413 people visited in 2022.

In 2025, 729,100 Nepali tourists visited, while in 2024, 759,990 people visited. Last year, 759,990 Nepali tourists visited. In 2023, 656,218 people visited. In 2022, 649,078 people visited. While in 2021, 463,963 people visited.

Estimated decrease due to road closures and protests

It is said that the number of Nepali and Indian tourists has decreased due to problems with the Butwal-Narayanghat road and road network in other parts of the country. Similarly, Lumbini Development Fund Information Officer Rajan Basnet said that problems have been added to Lumbini when employees, construction entrepreneurs and garland vendors sometimes go on strike and protest.

'There has been unrest in places where people have come to seek peace,' he said, 'This has affected domestic and foreign tourists. Problems will continue to arise unless strikes are banned in such peaceful places.'

Lumbini has seen an increase in Indian tourists due to the good publicity given to Lumbini by Indian Prime Minister Modi and spiritual guru Murari Bapu, but now the internal environment of Lumbini has deteriorated, said Lumbini Development Fund's Perth Exhibition Officer Dilip Singh Rai. 'Indians have great faith and trust in both Modi and Bapu. That is why Indians are eager to follow the places they visit,' he said, 'But, since there is no program to extend the stay of tourists in Lumbini, there have been an increase in tourists returning in the same day. This is our problem. There is a huge potential for bird tourism, village tours, culture and ecotourism along with spiritual tourism to extend the stay of tourists here. We have not been able to promote it.'

Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, is the most visited tourist destination in the country. While wandering around the Lumbini area, it feels like you have reached various Buddhist countries like Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand. It feels like you have reached Cambodia and Japan. That is why tourism entrepreneurs have the experience that Lumbini is the choice of domestic and foreign tourists to see the small world of diverse Buddhist culture.

'It is good that many tourists have come,' said tourism entrepreneur Tika Kattel, 'but there is a problem when their stay period is not extended.' She said that if it cannot be sustained, it will not be good to just enjoy the numbers. 'Nepalese and Indians are interested in traveling. The tourist season is from October to March. Therefore, there is no need to delay in making plans to extend the stay of tourists,' she said.