Ahead of Ram Mandir's inauguration, Ayodhya sees remarkable spike in international tourists

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Although Ayodhya is known as a religious place, a sacred place of Lord Ram, ahead of the grand Ram Mandir inauguration ceremony to be held on January 22, the Ayodhya city in Uttar Pradesh has become an attraction for tourists too. Hundreds of Lord Ram's devotees and tourists not only from India but across the world have already started reaching Ayodhya. In remarkable spike is seen on travel booking platforms from travelers not only from India, but internationally too.

The Ram Mandir inauguration is an historic event in India, religiously and politically. The Mandir will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 22 and several Hindu religious ceremonies ahead of the Pran Pratishta has already begun.

Speaking with ANI, a Make My Trip spokesperson highlighted that searches for Ayodhya from India increased by 1,806 per cent since the inauguration announcement. "We have recorded a 97 per cent growth in searches for spiritual destinations on our platform in the last two years. On-platform searches for Ayodhya from India have increased by 1,806 per cent since the inauguration announcement. The peak search for Ayodhya was recorded on Dec 30th, the day of the airport inauguration," the spokesperson said.

The online travel booking platform informed that Ayodhya is being searched from across the globe, with the maximum search contribution coming from the US at 22.5 per cent, Gulf countries at 22.2 per cent, Canada at 9.3 per cent, Nepal at 6.6 per cent and Australia at 6.1 per cent, ANI reported.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the international airport at Ayodhya on December 30, 2023. Since then, pilgrims and devotees have started landing at Ayodhya. Uttar Pradesh chief minister also announced that it is expected that 100 chartered flights will land at Ayodhya airport ahead of January 22 event. He had also said that the state government plans to start water ways and helicopter services for devotees to reach Ayodhya.

As the countdown to the historic event continues, Ayodhya has risen to prominence among travel enthusiasts seeking spiritual experiences.

Rajeev Kale, President and Country Head of Holidays, MICE, Visa, Thomas Cook (India) Limited said, "The upcoming inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22, has resulted in exponential growth in demand for the destination, and our data indicates over 300 per cent increase in searches for Ayodhya in December vs October. What is noteworthy is that the customer base reflects a diversity of families, businessmen, young India, and couples," ANI reported.

(With Inputs from ANI)