Kathmandu, January 15:

Though the tourist arrival in Lumbini increased by 19.78 per cent in 2006 compared to 2005, their stay has been quite short, the Lumbini Development Trust said.

In 2006 alone, tourists from over 92 countries visited Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha. According to the tourist arrival data recorded in the Information Centre of the Lumbini Development Trust last year, most of the visitors were from Sri Lanka, Thailand, South Korea, Myanmar and Japan.

According to data, some 21,563 tourists from Sri Lanka visited Lumbini in 2006.

Around 5 lakh Nepalis and Indians visited Lumbini last year. The Trust has asked the government and other stakeholders to work for uplifting the living standard of the locals and develop Lumbini to increase tourists’ stay in Lumbini.