Uttar Pradesh Tourism Minister Jaiveer Singh on Tuesday said an estimated 1 lakh devotees are expected to visit Ayodhya every day after the inauguration of the Ram temple, making the holy city set to become the “world’s most sought-after” tourist destination.
Singh said helicopter services to Ayodhya from six cities in the state, ongoing conservation of 37 ancient temples and expansion of the existing airport in the holy city will result in a manifold increase in the inflow of visitors.
Asked about a report that estimated that the US$10 billion renovation of Ayodhya with a new airport, renovated railway station, townships and better road connectivity could attract more than 50 million tourists per year “It will definitely happen,” Singh said.
“In fact, we estimate that more than 1 lakh tourists visit Ayodhya every day and arrangements are being made keeping this in mind,” Singh said.
According to reports, the Golden Temple in Amritsar receives an estimated 30-35 million tourists per year, while the Tirupati Temple receives 25-30 million tourists annually. Globally, Vatican City receives approximately 9 million tourists each year and Mecca in Saudi Arabia receives approximately 20 million tourists.
“Definitely, Ayodhya will be the most sought-after destination not only in the country but in the entire world,” the minister said. There is a lot of crowd outside the temple today. He said, this moment has come after 500 years of waiting.
Emphasizing that the number of visitors will start increasing after Republic Day on January 26 as security measures will affect the movement of trains and vehicles, Singh said the hospitality industry in Ayodhya will also benefit from religious tourism.
“After January 26, when rail traffic resumes, the number of visitors is going to increase. If you consider each devotee spending Rs 2,000-2,500 on buying prasad, food and accommodation, the revenue generated will be tremendous,” the minister said.
“In the next two to three years, tourism in Ayodhya will generate maximum revenue for the government. I say three years because it takes so much time to start a project, get approvals and implementation,” he said.
He said that after January 26, the tourism department will also start helicopter services to Ayodhya from at least six districts – Lucknow, Varanasi, Mathura, Agra, Gorakhpur and Prayagraj.
The minister said that the restoration work of 37 ancient temples is going on in Ayodhya, which will be a center of attraction for the tourists coming to see Ram Lala, the minister said that this project will be completed soon.
According to Ayodhya Divisional Commissioner Gaurav Dayal, 102 MoUs worth about Rs 18,000 crore were signed for tourism in Ayodhya during the Uttar Pradesh Global Investors Summit 2023.
He said, at present, 126 tourism-related projects worth Rs 4,000 crore are ready for implementation in Ayodhya.
Around 50 renowned hotel brands including Taj, Marriott, Ginger, Oberoi, Trident and Radisson have invested in Ayodhya. Their projects will be completed soon, the official said.
There are also plans to develop Raj Sadan, the grand residence of the former king of Ayodhya, as a heritage hotel, he said, adding that a major hotel chain has expressed interest in investing in the project.
With many luxury and budget hotels, resorts and homestays coming up in Ayodhya, the holy city is emerging as a new favorite of the hospitality industry, while good highways and roads, wall paintings depicting the life of Lord Ram, official sources said. Front lighting, he said, and a grand entrance decorated with Victorian lamps add to the charm of Ayodhya.
Meanwhile, the minister said that UP’s tourism sector has remained untapped, but with the focus on religious tourism, the state is going to become one of the top tourist destinations and Ayodhya will be a preferred destination.
Tour and taxi operators in Lucknow and Ayodhya are also excited about the prospects of increase in the number of domestic and international tourists visiting the holy city for darshan at the Ram temple.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)
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