This research aims to discover and present the impacts of COVID-19 in tourism in the context of Lumbini and its premises. As COVID-19 spread globally, it has created many challenges in health and security, daily lives, the national economy, and the global tourism industry. The COVID-19 outbreak has been considered as the most challenging tragedy that occurred in the world after the 2nd world war. The World Health Organization (WHO) had listed Nepal also as a country with a high-risk zone of COVID-19.The travel restriction and nationwide lock-down implemented by many countries including Nepal have resulted in a stranded traveler’s movement. As the consequences ticket reservation, flight services, transportation, hotel, and restaurants were closed and several job losses were registered in the tourism sector. The negative effects like fear, threat, frustration, and losing the confidence of tourism entrepreneurs appeared. This has brought changes in the tourists’ behavior and their motivation to travel for the next few years. In Lumbini businesses like lodges, hotels, restaurants, and travel offices were also severely affected by the pandemic. Thus, the tourism sector has been facing serious threats due to the prolonged lockdown and closing of tourism activities than the terror of COVID-19 itself.

Tourism destinations in the world are facing different challenges like natural disasters, conflicts, terrorism, economic crisis, and pandemic affecting the various aspect of international tourism needs. The coronavirus was emerged in Hubai, China at the end of 2019, remained a life-threatening outbreak and a major public health issue. In Nepal, the first case of COVID-19 was seen on January 23, 2020, and as part of the containment strategy suggested by WHO, the Government of Nepal imposed lockdown from March 24, 2020, made policies and regulations to control the national and international border (land & air). The Government also requested its citizens to maintain social distance and restrict the movement of people that has affected the Nepalese tourism sector severely. Chitwan is one of the most important wildlife-based tourism destinations of Nepal after the establishment of Chitwan National Park (CNP) and Sauraha is the main point to enter and visit Chitwan National Park. The tourism sector in Sauraha is also pretentious due to the COVID-19 pandemic. What is the status of tourism in Sauraha before and during the Pandemic? The objective of this study is to know how has COVID-19 impacted on tourism in Sauraha in particular and Chitwan National Park in general. For the research, researchers have adopted a qualitative research approach. Primary and secondary data were collected and interviewed 30 respondents representing various sectors of tourism and hospitality in Sauraha. Findings reveal that the outbreak of pandemic has brought huge negative impact by a rapid shutdown on the tourism industry in Sauraha and this has resulted in the loss of revenue, increase unemployment, frustration, and poverty among local people as well as gave positive things like health awareness, consensus on business, time for training and maintenance of infrastructures, etc.

The coronavirus outbreak is troubling the pilgrimage tourism industry in terms of economic, social, food, employment, and spiritual faith as pilgrimage activities are being stopped during the pandemic. The COVID-19 restriction and the nationwide lock-down has made it a very difficult time for pilgrims to stop the travel movement and this has made a big worry for government around the world. The pilgrimage tourism in Mecca, Vatican City, Israel, and India has been affected much by pandemic as gathering in the pilgrimage sites have been restricted since the year 2020. Lumbini one of the most important pilgrimage site, which is also a UNESCO-listed World Heritage site in Nepal, and has a significant contribution to the national economy. This research uses Lumbini, Nepal, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, to explore the impact of novel coronavirus on pilgrimage tourism and discusses the challenges experienced by Buddhist pilgrim, monks and nuns in different monasteries in 2020 and during the first quarter of the year 2021. The research is qualitative. The study is based on both primary and secondary data gathered through interviews with the related stakeholders and the review of several relevant secondary sources. The outcomes of the research illustrate that pilgrimage tourism has been extremely affected by coronavirus and lock-down causing multiple effects on social creation, economic and holy activities, and daily lives of the monks and nuns in Lumbini.