Ayodhya city expected to get tourism boost after SC verdict

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

After the landmark Supreme Court judgment on the disputed Ayodhya land, hotel and tourism players are evaluating opportunities in the city. The apex court on Saturday gave the verdict that Hindu parties would get 2.77 acres of disputed land, and the central government would set up a trust in three months for monitoring construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Vibhas Prasad, director at homegrown hotels brand Leisure Hotels said that he’s thinking of selecting a heritage property in Ayodhya city which he would like to convert into a boutique hotel with about 25 rooms. Prasad said, “We have been operating as an upscale operator in Uttarakhand, and specifically in tourist destinations like Haridwar, Rishikesh, Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. We would like to expand this portfolio as things are looking up in Ayodhya. I am sure the government wants to make it as big as Gujarat’s Statue of Unity or even bigger from the tourism standpoint.”

Tourism sector in Ayodhya city is expected to get a boost after the SC verdict. Initial investments are expected to come from the tourism sector, and once the temple is constructed, there will be plenty of business activities that would further boost tourism.

While there’s a bit of Hindu tourism in Ayodhya, Varanasi and Prayagraj (especially during the Kumbh mela), central and eastern Uttar Pradesh is principally dependent on Buddhist pilgrimage. However, that’s set to change after the temple is built.

Of late, the state government has been allocating large funds for improving the tourism market in the city. Recently, the UP government sanctioned about Rs. 446 crore for building a 725-feet tall Ram statue on the banks of the Saryu River as part of Ram Nagri project. The state government has already approved Rs. 640 crore for an international airport over 285 acres at Ayodhya for attracting domestic and foreign tourists in large numbers.

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• Helicopter services to start for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, India