NTB forms committee to promote Lumbini

KATHMANDU: Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) has formed the Buddhist Tourism Promotion Committee.

The tourism board has formed the committee with an aim to promote, market and preserve Lumbini as a religious and historical area. The committee will be jointly coordinated by CEO of NTB, Dhananjay Regmi, and Buddhist tourism promoter Bikram Pandey.

The committee will include locations such as Tilaurakot, Ramgram, Devdaha, Kudan, Gotihawa, Niglihawa and Sagarhawa for promotion, branding, and packaging. It has also been assigned the responsibility to prepare a strategic plan with an aim to coordinate with the private sector, investors and international strategic partners, among others.

“We have been holding frequent discussions with different international sectors for the promotion of Lumbini in the post-pandemic period and we will be promoting the area in different phases,” said MetteyyaSakyaputta, vice chairman of Lumbini Development Trust. As per him, the trust is preparing to provide virtual meditation training as well as a virtual tour of Lumbini.

“As people have become frustrated with their caged life due to the COVID-19 pandemic we are thinking of providing meditation courses to offer peace of mind to people after the pandemic is over,” he said, adding, “Peace will be something for which people will visit Lumbini after the pandemic.”

He further said that the trust is holding discussions with countries like Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand, and requesting people from these countries to visit Lumbini after the pandemic is over.