Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Ayodhya's Maharishi Valmiki Airport and the newly renovated railway station on December 30, setting the stage for the grand consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple.

The city of Ayodhya underwent a significant transformation ahead of the temple's inauguration on January 22, with experts predicting a substantial surge in spiritual tourism.

Ritesh Agarwal, the founder and CEO of OYO, India's leading chain of budget hotels, shared data yesterday, on New Year's Eve. The information underscored Ayodhya's appeal as a tourist destination, surpassing even traditional favourites like hills or beaches.

On December 31, 80 per cent more users were searching for stays in Ayodhya, with the platform witnessing one of the highest spikes, Mr Agarwal said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). The OYO founder concurred with a user's prediction who said, "Ayodhya will be the biggest tourist place in India" and added that Banaras or Varanasi is doing exceptionally well when another user asked, "What happened to Varanasi in the last 3 years the tourist influx, much more than that expected for Ayodhya?"

In another post, Mr Agarwal shared more data, comparing Goa, Ayodhya and Nainital - Three regions in the country representing the mountains, beaches and a city in the plains with strong religious and spiritual significance.

"Ayodhya saw a 70 per cent jump in OYO app users compared to 60 per cent in Nainital and 50 per cent in Goa," Mr Agarwal said, adding that "Holy destinations are now India's favourite destinations."

"Spiritual tourism will be one of the biggest growth drivers of the tourism industry in the next 5 years," he said.