A tourist growth plan has been introduced to ensure regular international flights at the underperforming Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa, the gateway to the birthplace of the Buddha.

The airport administration, in coordination with the local private sector, has rolled out the plan with the objective of increasing foreign tourist arrivals to Nepal. Despite the launch of several international flights during nearly four years of operation, services from Bhairahawa have remained irregular due to a persistent shortage of passengers.

In response, airport management has intensified efforts to attract tourists, arguing that sustained growth in visitor numbers is the only way to secure regular international flight operations. The plan has been developed in collaboration with industrialists, businesspeople, and tour and travel associations operating in Rupandehi and across Lumbini Province.

According to airport officials, once destinations in the region are effectively promoted and tourist inflows increase, airlines will be encouraged to operate regular international services on their own.

Shyam Kishor Sah, officiating general manager of Gautam Buddha International Airport, said the airport is working closely with the private sector to develop tour packages highlighting Nepal’s key destinations, particularly Lumbini, and to promote them in India and other South Asian countries.

“To create an environment that attracts more tourists, we have been holding regular meetings with private-sector representatives over the past few weeks,” Sah said, adding that the tourist growth plan aims squarely at ensuring sustained international flight operations.

As part of the initiative, tour and travel entrepreneurs in Rupandehi have been tasked with preparing organized tour packages covering destinations across Lumbini Province. Sah said the airport already has the necessary infrastructure, but tourism promotion has remained weak.

“Only when tourist numbers increase do issues of resources come into play,” he said. “The airport and aircraft are there, but promotion has not been effective.”

Sah noted that international airlines would begin operating regular flights from Bhairahawa once passenger numbers rise, which is why the new focus is on marketing tour packages abroad. He also pointed out that even Thai AirAsia’s twice-weekly flights are struggling to fill seats.

Travel entrepreneur Chandra Thapa said demand from Bhairahawa for travel to Thailand is strong, but aircraft are returning nearly empty on the inbound leg.

“The challenge is to bring passengers from Thailand to Bhairahawa,” Thapa said, noting that even Buddhist pilgrims from Thailand are currently entering Nepal via India. He stressed the need to promote Nepal’s tourist destinations and Gautam Buddha International Airport in Thailand, adding that close coordination among the private sector in Rupandehi is essential.

Tourism entrepreneur Sagar Adhikari said pressure campaigns carried out over the past two years to ensure airport operations have produced little result, making it necessary to strengthen local structures and focus on tourism promotion alongside lobbying state agencies.

“Tourists on the Buddhist circuit are seasonal,” Adhikari said. “During the lean season, flight continuity must be ensured, even if it means sending representatives from Lumbini Province abroad. We need to unite for that.”

JP Kandel, vice-president of the Chamber of Commerce of Lumbini Province, said awareness about Lumbini and Gautam Buddha International Airport remains low in international markets.

“Even foreign tour guides are often unaware that Lumbini is the birthplace of the Buddha,” he said, underscoring the urgency of collective tourism promotion efforts by private-sector organisations. He also suggested that domestic airlines include promotional materials about Gautam Buddha International Airport in their onboard publications.

Thakur Kumar Shrestha, immediate past president of the Siddhartha Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said previous efforts to secure regular international flights had failed.

“Success is possible only through joint efforts by airport management and the private sector,” he said, adding that launching inter-provincial domestic flights could also help boost passenger numbers in Bhairahawa. He further suggested engaging with authorities in India’s Uttar Pradesh to create a more tourism-friendly environment.

Krishna Prasad Sharma, president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Lumbini Province, said responsibilities must be clearly divided among private-sector organisations to ensure airport operations.

“We need clarity on who does what and what kind of tour packages should be developed,” Sharma said, noting that even retaining Thai AirAsia services has become a challenge. He added that a meeting of all private-sector bodies will be convened soon to assign roles and responsibilities.

Sah also said appreciation had been expressed to a Thai princess who visited Lumbini earlier this week for her support in efforts to regularise international flights.

The Thai royal family member had travelled to Lumbini via India and stayed at the Royal Thai Monastery, where she prayed at the Maya Devi Temple. After a one-day visit, she returned home on a chartered flight via Gautam Buddha International Airport.