Mumbai: CEO of OYO, Ritesh Agarwal, shared that the hospitality chain recorded an 80 per cent increase in users searching for stays in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, the birthplace of Lord Ram, on December 31. Ayodhya also saw a 70 per cent jump in app users, surpassing Goa and Nainital.
Ritesh Agarwal shared the insights on X. He wrote, “80 per cent more users are searching for stays in Ayodhya today! Seeing one of the highest spikes.”
In another post on X, he wrote, “Holy destinations are now India’s favourite destinations! Ayodhya saw a 70 per cent jump in OYO app users vs Goa (50%) and Nainital (60%). Spiritual tourism will be one of the biggest growth drivers of the tourism industry in the next five years.”
On December 31, people assembled at Ayodhya’s famous Lata Mangeshkar Chowk to celebrate New Year’s Eve. As the clock struck midnight, people gathered and cheered “Happy New Year.” They also chanted “Jai Shri Ram.”
Hospitality major OYO also witnessed the highest-ever booking on New Year’s Eve 2023 compared to previous years. “Last-minute plans are driving global tourism. Between December 30 and 31 this year, we received 230k+ last-minute bookings globally,” OYO’s CEO posted on X. According to him, OYO received over 620,000 bookings for New Year’s Eve 2023. “We are up by 37 per cent from last year as last-minute bookings rise,” he added.
Agarwal’s post has garnered over 3.8 lakh views and 8,000 likes. The post comes ahead of the consecration ceremony of Ayodhya’s grand Ram Mandir on January 22.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the consecration ceremony of Lord Ram’s idol. PM Modi inaugurated the Ayodhya Dham Railway Station and Maharishi Valmiki International Airport on December 30. He also addressed a massive gathering on the same day, requesting devotees across the nation not to rush to Ayodhya for the grand consecration ceremony.
“I have a request for everyone. Everyone has a wish to come to Ayodhya to be a part of the event on January 22. But you know everyone can’t come. Therefore, I request all Ram devotees to come to Ayodhya at their convenience once the formal programme is over on January 22,” PM Modi said.
