Association of Buddhist Tour Operators (ABTO) - Chanxin International Buddhist Magazine

Buddhist Pilgrims & Association of Buddhist Tour Operators (ABTO)

Buddha, meaning “one who is awake” in the sense of having “woken up to reality,” was the title first given to Lord Buddha. About 2500 years ago, Prince Siddhartha Gautam left all worldly pleasures to attain the reality of life and became the Buddha—the enlightened one. In this state, the Buddha gained insight into the deepest workings of life and the cause of human suffering, the problem that had set him on his spiritual quest in the first place.

Buddhism offers four major sites of pilgrimage: the Buddha’s birthplace at Lumbini, the site where he attained enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, where he first preached at Benaras, and where he achieved Parinirvana at Kusinagara. Additionally, there are many Buddhist pilgrimage sites worldwide. The teachings of Buddhism center around the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, which serve as the fundamental principles guiding Buddhist practice and understanding.

Buddhist tourism has increasingly become an important topic, not only for academics but also for Buddhist monastics and practitioners. Across Asia, locations and sites associated with Buddhism or the historical Buddha are now part of tourism circuits. Recent tourism developments have contributed to the revitalization of Buddhist sites.

During my 24 years of overseas travel, I met a remarkable gentleman who is fully involved in promoting Buddhism worldwide: Dr. Kaulesh Kumar, the Secretary General of the Association of Buddhist Tour Operators (ABTO) and Managing Director of Hans Holidays Private Limited, India. This article is the result of my discussions with Dr. Kaulesh Kumar about Buddhist pilgrims and worldwide Buddhist tourism.

The Association of Buddhist Tour Operators (ABTO) was established in 2015 in Nalanda, Bihar—the Land of Dhamma. It serves as a common forum for like-minded tour operators and tourism service providers promoting Buddhist pilgrimage in the tourism industry worldwide, particularly in India, Nepal, and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Recently, ABTO has formed collaborative partnerships and signed MoUs with various international tourism associations (such as ASITA-Indonesia, ATTA-Thailand, NATTA-Nepal, TOAB-Bangladesh, TEATA-Thailand, HAN-Nepal, TCT-Thailand, TTAA-Thailand, ABTO-Bhutan, SHAN-Nepal, TAAN-Nepal, UMTA-Myanmar, International Buddhist Confederation-IBC-India, etc.) to jointly market and promote tourism sectors, including Buddhist tourism, culture, and nature tourism products, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. We are confident that under your patronage and guidance, ABTO will be enormously enriched and benefited. Your extensive knowledge, expertise, and experience in the tourism and Buddhist sectors will help ABTO in strengthening and promoting the Buddhist pilgrimage tourism industry.

“One Tourism! One Platform! It’s ABTO.” ABTO works closely with the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, and various state tourism boards such as Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh, receiving significant support from all of them. During international Buddhist conclaves organized by the Ministry of Tourism, ABTO has submitted feedback and proposals to the government, which are under consideration.

“In India, more than 25 states have magnificent Buddhist sites related to Lord Buddha that can attract tourists from across the globe. Many tourists wish to visit these Buddhist sites at least once in their lifetime. We always protect them, and we will guide them comfortably. We share all the information, resources, and help we can provide, not only to our tourist/pilgrim clients but also to our members, with a peaceful mind, happiness, and harmony. We are an Association of Buddhist Tour Operators—ABTO—interested in promoting tourism and culture with Buddhist places of importance spread across the globe,” said Dr. Kaulesh Kumar.

“We exchange ideas to strengthen this segment, attract more tourists, and enhance the business of our partners. Many tour operators in India and abroad are engaged in the Buddhist segment, and they need to come together to promote and get more from this segment. This convention is a unique opportunity for our delegates to meet and interact with tourism professionals from Asian countries and other parts of the world. We aim to spread the message among travelers of this segment that we are ready to facilitate their tour and offer a world-class experience.

The Buddhist circuit will be the diamond sector in the future. We will start the campaign ‘VISIT ASIA 2025,’ inviting travelers to visit Asia and encouraging tourists to prioritize visiting Asian countries. The theme is ‘One World! One Tourism!’

International Buddhist tourism provides a unique opportunity for Indian sellers and buyers to interact with eminent tourism professionals of the Buddhist segment from Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, China, and other parts of the world. Dr. Kaulesh Kumar informed us that this edition would be bigger and better as the association is receiving significant support from the Ministry of Tourism and industry partners from both the country and abroad. Learning from past experiences, ABTO has improved management and facilities for the delegates.

Buddhism is one of the oldest and most followed religions in the world. It originated about 2,500 years ago in ancient India and is now followed by more than 350 million people worldwide. It was founded by Siddhartha Gautama around the 5th century BC, who is commonly known as the Buddha.

ABTO maintains close connections and constant interaction with other Buddhist associations worldwide. Furthermore, the association is increasing its international networking with professional bodies for better facilitation of national and international Buddhist pilgrims and travelers visiting Buddhist heritage sites in the region. We help and support each other and our members at large with information and resources.

We are the Association of Buddhist Tour Operators—ABTO—interested in promoting tourism and culture with tourist destinations, especially Buddhist places, and promoting them across the globe. Regarding the Buddhist sector, most tourists come from Asian countries, and Kolkata is the gateway to all Asian countries with all types of tourism facilities. As a tour operators association, our main aim is to increase tourism in four holy places: Lumbini, Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, and Kushinagar.

From Kolkata, we are sending a clear message to BBIN, SAARC, and BIMSTEC countries that if the world faces any crisis in the future, we should keep travel alive via cross-border tourism. We believe that in the coming years, the Buddhist circuit will be considered the diamond sector of tourism. We all need to unite for tourism,” said Dr. Kaulesh Kumar.

The Association of Buddhist Tour Operators (ABTO) was established with the sole aim to “UNITE ON THE BUDDHA’S PATH.” ABTO is a platform where all stakeholders and scholars connected with Buddhist pilgrimage or any other sector of tourism and hospitality worldwide, especially in Asian countries, can join our association and participate in our events to explore and promote the Buddhist tourism segment together.

There have been several challenges and factors hindering the growth of this segment. We have observed that other countries are promoting this segment better than us and achieving good results. Therefore, I, along with some like-minded individuals, decided to form an association where we can educate professionals in this segment and promote our destinations in India and abroad.

At present, ABTO has about 1500 members and about 5000 non-member supporters, both in India and overseas. This includes specialists in tourism destinations, Buddhist circuits, and culture-promoting tour operators, tourism professionals, educationists, monks, travel trade partners, philanthropists, officers, and scholars whose support enables us to keep our organization running.

We have a global reach in most of the 25 countries, and our members/supporters and we benefit from interactions with them. Many senior bureaucrats and national/international tourism and Buddhist scholars are also helping us.

The ABTO International Convention, International Buddhist Travel Mart (IBTM), International Conference on Buddhist Circuits (ICBC), Lord Buddhist International Peace Award (LBIPA), and International Tourism Mitra Award (ITMA) act as high-caliber forums where inbound and domestic players (tour operators, travel agencies, hotel operators, investors, tourism officials, and other stakeholders, guides, etc.) can meet the international travel industry. IBTM also provides an opportunity for tourism aspects of the Buddhist sector, culture, and tradition sectors, and the policies, government initiatives, and schemes are conveyed to the invitees and participants.

Moreover, the 5th ABTO International Convention and 5th IBTM create opportunities for tourism sellers and buyers specifically selected for the IBTM, combined with highly professional organization. With the support of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, Indian State Tourism, and other national and international organizations, the 5th ABTO International Convention, 5th IBTM, 3rd ICBC, 5th LBIPA, and 5th ITMA were held from December 9-11 in Kolkata, India—one of the top events of the travel and tourism industry in India. Thanks a lot for the kind support again and again. We are pleased to share the event video clip where more than 300 attendees, including 11 countries, participated with 39 foreign delegates.

We hope that India will become one of the top events of the travel and tourism industry in the years to come. The message of this association is: “Sharing & Service to All.” Mettavalokana Buddhist Publications Centre extends heartfelt wishes to Dr. Kaulesh Kumar, Secretary General of the Association of Buddhist Tour Operators (ABTO) and Managing Director at Hans Holidays Private Limited, and his team for future success!

Buddhika Sanjeewa

Founder/Chairman/Chief Editor

Mettavalokana Buddhist Publications Centre

After visit to Bihar, India.

Official Photographs By – ABTO