Chinese tourists return to Kushinagar after 5 years, officials say tourism earnings set to rise

Kushinagar (UP), Dec 26 (PTI) A delegation of Chinese tourists arrived in Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh, giving a boost to tourism in the Buddhist pilgrimage town that had come to a halt due to travel restrictions imposed during the coronavirus outbreak, officials said.

The arrival of foreign tourists has resumed and the situation is normalising, bringing back vibrancy to the local economy, they said.

A 21-member Chinese delegation reached Kushinagar on Wednesday, marking the first visit by Chinese tourists since the pandemic five years ago. The group offered prayers and 'chivar' at the Mahaparinirvana Temple, which houses the fifth-century reclining statue of Lord Buddha.

The delegation was led by Bhikshuni Fujian Dayu, who said the group also visited and offered prayers at the Ramabhar Stupa, believed to be the cremation site of Lord Buddha.

The team arrived in Delhi from China on December 21 and travelled to Kushinagar via Shravasti. The group will leave for Bihar on Thursday and is scheduled to visit Vaishali, Rajgir, Nalanda and Bodh Gaya before touring Sarnath, the site believed to be where Buddha held his first sermon, on December 30, after which it will return to China.

Officials said improving bilateral ties and the resumption of visa issuance by India have been welcomed by Chinese citizens and are expected to increase tourist inflow, strengthening people-to-people relations and positively impacting the tourism sector.

Tourism officer Pran Ranjan said around 1,800 Buddhist tourists visited Kushinagar in November, with most coming from Myanmar and Sri Lanka.

Pankaj Kumar Singh, general manager of The Royal Residency hotel, said the Centre resumed issuing visas to Chinese tourists about six months ago, but footfall on the Buddhist circuit remains below expectations.

He cited restrictions on Chinese tourists travelling onward to Lumbini in Nepal, Buddha's birthplace, as a key reason, noting that a fresh Indian visa is required for re-entry.

Officials said Chinese tourists had been barred from visiting India due to the India-China border dispute and COVID-19. The last Chinese tourist group visited Kushinagar in March 2018, when 11,213 Chinese tourists arrived between April 2017 and March 2018.

The Centre approved visa issuance to Chinese tourists on July 24 this year. Officials said nearly 90 per cent of the world's Buddhist population resides in China, and tourism generates about Rs 12 lakh annually in hotel stays alone in Kushinagar. PTI COR KIS SKY SKY