Nepal: Preparations on in Lumbini ahead of PM Modi's visit
Lumbini
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is due to visit Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha in Nepal, on May 16. The visit is coming on the occasion of Buddha Purnima. PM Modi will offer prayers at the sacred Mayadevi temple. He will also participate in the foundation laying ceremony of Centre for Buddhist Culture and Heritage. The centre is being built with India's assistance.
To welcome PM Modi, hoardings have been put up all along the highway leading to Lumbini. PM Modi will meet his Nepali counterpart PM Sher Bahadur Deuba at Lumbini. The two will have bilateral talks.
Nepal has always been a very high priority for PM Modi. This will be Prime Minister`s fifth visit to Nepal since 2014. PM Modi`s visit to Nepal comes at a time when the geopolitical dynamics are rapidly changing and even Kathmandu has witnessed a division of opinion on issues Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Nevertheless, the visit offers an immense opportunity for Nepal. With tourism being the mainstay of the Nepalese economy, religious tourists are the main contributors to the hilly nation`s industry. Not only has it generated thousands of jobs, but has also promoted Nepalese culture, lifestyle and traditions. Nepal has a lot to offer to tourists, from the high Himalayas to the jungles of the Tarai plains teeming with wildlife, and from the scenic grandeur of its rolling hills to the rich cultural heritage of its inhabitants.
Yet tourism has not been able to make a sizeable contribution to its gross domestic product (GDP). As against Nepal, Tanzania, for instance, draws tourists in much greater numbers to its game safaris and Mount Kilimanjaro, raking in a remarkable USD 2.5 billion annually.India is making a significant investment in infrastructure to implement the Buddhist religious circuit. Investment is directed towards connectivity, addressing the paucity of hotels and also issues of cleanliness and safety, as well as creating amenities along the stretch of the transnational circuit.
There is a lot of room for greater cooperation between India and Nepal in promotion, marketting and capacity building in the tourism industry.
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This may require setting common tourism standards and the formulation of a common marketing strategy such as the creation of a brand, to develop a common website for promotion etc.Hence the interdependence between India and Nepal for religious tourism through the transnational Buddhist circuit will be a driver not only for economic growth but also for bilateral relations.
(With inputs from agencies)
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