Before 2076 BS, Lumbini used to bevisited annually by around one million domestic tourists. Over the past two decades, this number has declined. Although, after Covid-19, everything slowly and gradually has returned to normal, these days Lumbini receive visits from only about 600 thousand tourists yearly.

According to Member-Secretary Sanuraja Shakya at the Lumbini Development Trust, the deteriorating road conditions have been identified as the single major reason for the decline. He mentioned that the thirteen-hour journey from Butwal into Kathmandu in official vehicles is really tiring and thus discouraged the religious visitors.

The attempt to come up with improved infrastructures in Lumbini has not made any difference to the tourists' ordeal, especially with the Narayangadh to Butwal road section.

Sanuraja Shakya showed an urgent need to upgrade several roads to attract more religious visitors; he sees that the prompt fixing of the Narayangadh to Butwal road will attract both domestic and international tourists to visit Lumbini and other areas in Western Nepal.