Rush for Maha Kumbh Mela leads to surge in tourist footfall in Ayodhya
Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj is sparking a surge in tourism in Ayodhya-cities in Uttar Pradesh about 170 kms apart-underscoring the booming religious travel circuit in India.
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Searches on online portals for Ayodhya have been rising steadily since last October ahead of Maha Kumbh Mela which began on January 13. Hotels in the city-home to the grand temple dedicated to Lord Ram-are fully booked even though the number of daily flights has fallen since the temple's consecration in January 2024.
Ayodhya saw a 510% spike in search activity in January 2024 compared to December 2023, as per travel website Ixigo. Searches in January searches were 50% more than February 2024, marking a peak in interest. However, search volumes have since moderated.
Hotel booking data on online travel company Cleartrip showed January accounted for 16.2% of total 2024 bookings, but February saw a sharp 50% drop to 8.1%. Bookings remained subdued in subsequent months with March and April at just 2.0% and 2.9%, respectively. A recovery began in October with a 10.6% increase in searches, ending December at 12.0%. Travel industry executives attribute this to the Maha Kumbh Mela, which is drawing millions of pilgrims, many of whom are making Ayodhya part of their religious travel plans due to the moderate
