Lumbini, Nepal — Lumbini, the revered birthplace of Lord Buddha, recorded a moderate decline in tourist arrivals in 2025, with total visitors decreasing to 1,114,266, compared to 1,172,282 in 2024. According to statistics released by the Lumbini Development Trust, this marks a drop of 58,016 tourists, representing a 4.95 percent decline year-on-year.

A category-wise analysis reveals differing trends among domestic, regional, and international visitors.

Category-wise Tourist Arrival Comparison (2024–2025)

Category	2024	2025	Difference	% Change
Nepali	759,990	702,910	-57,080	-7.51%
Indian	300,889	270,387	-30,502	-10.14%
Passport Holder (Others)	111,403	140,969	+29,566	+26.54%
Total	1,172,282	1,114,266	-58,016	-4.95%

Domestic tourism remained the backbone of Lumbini’s visitor base in 2025; however, Nepali tourist arrivals declined by 7.51 percent, contributing the largest share to the overall reduction. Likewise, Indian tourist arrivals fell by 10.14 percent, reflecting a slowdown in cross-border pilgrimage and short-haul travel.

In contrast, international tourists holding passports from countries other than India recorded a strong growth of 26.54 percent, increasing by nearly 30,000 visitors. This growth partially offset the decline in domestic and Indian arrivals and highlights Lumbini’s expanding appeal among long-haul international pilgrims and cultural tourists.

International tourist arrivals to Lumbini in 2025 were led overwhelmingly by Buddhist-majority and East Asian countries, underscoring the site’s enduring global spiritual appeal. Sri Lanka topped the list with 32,287 visitors, followed by Thailand (19,891) and Myanmar (18,528), reflecting strong pilgrimage ties with the birthplace of Lord Buddha. China ranked fourth with 10,789 visitors, while Vietnam contributed 8,615 tourists, indicating sustained interest from Southeast Asia. South Korea recorded 3,895 arrivals, and Germany emerged as the leading European source market with 2,378 visitors. The dominance of Asian countries among the top source markets highlights Lumbini’s central role in global Buddhist pilgrimage tourism, while the presence of European visitors signals its growing recognition as a world heritage and cultural destination.

Tourism officials attribute the overall decrease primarily to domestic and international political unrest, which affected travel confidence and disrupted planned visits throughout the year. Additionally, poor road conditions along the Mahendra Highway, Nepal’s principal east–west corridor, significantly hindered overland travel. Frequent road damage, congestion, and delays discouraged many domestic and Indian tourists from traveling to Lumbini.

Despite these challenges, authorities remain optimistic. The continued rise in non-Indian international visitors underscores Lumbini’s growing global recognition as a center of Buddhist pilgrimage and heritage tourism. The Lumbini Development Trust has emphasized the need for political stability, improved road infrastructure particularly along the Mahendra Highway and enhanced transport connectivity to restore growth momentum.

While 2025 did not replicate the record-breaking success of 2024, the relatively small overall decline and strong international performance indicate a resilient tourism sector with positive long-term prospects for Lumbini.