"Lumbini Year 2012"

 well, it's a good thing dat 2012 has been declared the Visit Lumbini Year focusing Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Gautam Buddha, even though at a time when no expected tourists were attracted in Nepal in the Tourism Year- 2011.

The Visit Lumbini Year -2012 that is with both opportunity and challenges to attract internal and external tourists. Also, one of the prominent reasons will be to make Lumbini an "international Buddhist center". But however,there are many challenges ahead as compared to the enthusiasm to declare the Visit Lumbini Year.

The Lumbini Development Trust has made preparations to decorate Lumbini, make welcome gates in roads and highways, and organize various programmes all the year round. The Trust has planned to spend at least Rs. 100 million for making the Lumbini visit year successful.  The Trust is to fill water in the pond and central canal, clean up and to run boats in it, and works are intensified for the same.Messages for visiting Lumbini has also been advertised in foreign media channels to publicize through organizations in countries like China, South Korea, Japan, Thailand and USA.

Trust Member Secretary claims that it will be possible to bring one million tourists to Lumbini as there has been extensive publicity of Lumbini in the international level.The forthcoming visit of Ban Ki-moon to Lumbini will also be instrumental in increasing the attraction of the tourists to Lumbini, he said. RSS

"It is positive that at least our leaders have started to understand importance of tourism in Nepal. Making them participate in such projects, will definitely make them more responsible. In fact, tourism in Nepal is spontaneous so far relying on bare nature providing adventure. Political interferences and development focusing on garnering vote have jeopardize tourism in previous years. However this is positive as they are participating in such promotion activities."                -ITOURNEPAL

But inspte of this, will this be enough to face challanges with India who is speeding up in developing Bodh Gaya( place where Buddha attended his knowledge) as global Buddhist destination or developing Nalanda University as an world buddhist university similarly like Nepal's Lumbini bouddha university....... 

The challanges are still tough but all we can hope is for better development of Lumbini and of course "HAPPY LLUMBINI YEAR 2012"!!!!!!!