 "Ayodhya on track to become world's biggest spiritual destination: IHCL CEO")
Ayodhya is on track to become the world’s biggest spiritual destination as infrastructure improves in the temple city and more Indians travel for religious reasons, said Puneet Chhatwal, managing director and chief executive officer of Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL).
He rejected the notion that so-called revenge tourism – individuals or groups undertaking extensive or extravagant trips following a period of pandemic-induced restrictions –led to the recent boom in the travel industry. People are travelling because they have higher disposable income, their priorities have changed, and there is a feel-good factor, he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22. IHCL, which owns the premium Taj hotels and resorts, has signed three hotels across SeleQtions, Vivanta and Ginger brands in Ayodhya.
"Look at the rich cultural heritage or the monuments or temples of the country. Spiritual tourism is so much on the rise. I recently went to Ayodhya and I just could not believe what I saw. If everything goes the way I understand it, honestly, this will be larger than the biggest spiritual destinations that you are aware of in the world," said Chhatwal in a speech at the 45th-anniversary celebrations of the chartered accountancy firm PKF Sridhar & Santhanam on Monday night.
In January, Gaurav Dayal, the divisional commissioner of Ayodhya, announced that approximately 50 distinguished hotels have committed investments to large projects in Ayodhya and construction is underway. These hotels include Taj, Marriott, Ginger, Oberoi, Trident, and Radisson, and they will soon be completed and operational, he had said.
Chhatwal said tourism did not find a place in the concurrent list of the Constitution because the country at that time was poor and the priorities were different. "If you look at tourism holistically across the globe, 10 per cent of the contribution to global GDP comes from tourism. Ten per cent of all jobs come from tourism. More importantly, 20 per cent of all new jobs created are coming from the tourism sector," he said.
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"India itself contributes around six per cent to GDP (gross domestic product) and accounts for eight per cent of jobs. This is very low and should show exponential growth. I say in Hindi that 'picture abhi shuru hui hai' (the show has just begun). It is not like what people call 'revenge travel', wherein people are travelling more because Covid got over. No, people are travelling because they like to travel. People are travelling because the consumer has changed and they have more disposable income. People are travelling because of the general 'feel good' factor. So, there is a change in lifestyle and it is not going to stop," he said.