Nepal Showcases “Lumbini and Beyond” in Sri Lanka to Promote Cultural and Spiritual TourismTuesday, July 1st, 2025

Colombo, Sri Lanka – June 30, 2025 – The Embassy of Nepal in Sri Lanka and Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) jointly organized the “Nepal Destination Promotion Program – Lumbini and Beyond” in Colombo on June 30. The event aimed to highlight Nepal’s unique spiritual, cultural, and natural tourism offerings with a special focus on Lumbini – the birthplace of Lord Buddha – and its surrounding destinations through videos and presentation.

The program brought together an esteemed gathering of Sri Lankan travel trade representatives, revered Buddhist monks from different viharas and temples of both countries, media personnel, tourism stakeholders, Everest summiteer, Nepal lovers and members from different Nepal-Sri Lanka associations. The event served as a platform to deepen bilateral tourism cooperation and promote Nepal as a top destination for pilgrimage, cultural exploration and adventure.

In his opening remarks, H.E. Dr. Purna Bahadur Nepali, Ambassador of Nepal to Sri Lanka, emphasized the importance of Buddhist tourism, the deep spiritual and historical ties between the two countries and highlighted the significance of Lumbini as a shared cultural heritage site for global Buddhist community. He invited Sri Lankan travelers to experience not only the spiritual tranquility of Lumbini but also the diverse tourism offerings of Nepal — from heritage cities and natural wonders to mountain adventures and more.

A presentation made by Ms Ranu Shah from Nepal Tourism Board showcased Lumbini as the birthplace of Lord Buddha and Nepal’s diverse tourism attractions to welcome international tourists. The highlight was “Lumbini and Beyond” – an initiative to promote greater Lumbini circuit that includes other key Buddhist and cultural heritage sites – Lumbini, Devdaha, Tilaurakot, Gotihawa, Niglihawa, Sagarhawa, Shisaniya, Auraurakot, Kudan and Ramgram of  Kapilvastu, Rupandehi and Nawalparasi districts.

The program also featured video screening of regional Buddhist circuits across Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Pakistan, Maldives and Afghanistan along with networking opportunities with the audience. Ms Jayanthi Kuru-Utumpala’s short video and remarks as the first Sri Lankan to summit Mt. Everest was equally captivating and held everyone’s attention.

The event concluded with a renewed commitment to strengthen tourism exchanges and Buddhist pilgrimage tourism between Nepal and Sri Lanka.

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