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The central state of Madhya Pradesh would possibly introduce a tourist registration formula for its devotional sites, adding the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain, Skift has learned from sources. The move aims to solve the challenge of overtourism and overcrowding in the state’s top tourist destinations.
The registration is in line with the Obligatory Register of Pilgrimage to the Temples of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, Yamunotri or Hemkund Sahib in Uttarakhand.
“We want to make sure that we limit the number of tourists based on the functions of our infrastructure, so that we can offer visitors a smart experience,” according to the sources. However, this is still at the planning level and the main points still need to be finalized.
Tourism boom in Madhya Pradesh: Last week, the Madhya Pradesh government welcomed more than 112 million tourists in 2023, surpassing pre-Covid levels.
This is particularly higher than the 34. 1 million visitors recorded in 2022, an increase of nearly 230%.
Places of devotional importance are visited by many people, especially during festivals and devotional events, leading to overcrowding and overtourism. This has prompted the state to explore measures such as mandatory tourist registration for those destinations, the resources add.
Religious travel and its impact: Nearly 50% of tourists who visited the state last year visited Ujjain, basically because of its religious significance. The second most visited city in Madhya Pradesh is Maihar, another devoutly important destination. Omkareshwar is also a popular tourist destination with only about 3. 5 million pilgrims visiting the city.
India’s religious sites bear witness to a vital pilgrimage. In the first two months after the renovation of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh and the opening of a questionable Hindu temple, the city welcomed more than 11 million tourists. A report by brokerage firm Jeffries estimates that the city can attract more than 50 million visitors a year.
Varanasi, in Uttar Pradesh, gained a modernization with the Kashi-Vishwanath hall in December 2021. In 2022 and 2023, a total of millions of tourists visited the pilgrimage city, Skift previously reported.
Data released through India’s Ministry of Tourism shows that in 2022, more than 1. 4 billion tourists visited devotional sites across the country. In addition, devotional tourism generated INR 1. 340 billion (over $16 billion) annually.
MakeMyTrip, India’s largest online agency, has offered new features for passengers who book their exercise trips using the platform.
Seat Lock Feature: This feature is intended to allow passengers to download a ticket with the price displayed by paying a quarter of the payment at the time of booking and the remainder to be paid up to 24 hours before travel. According to the company, this will allow passengers whose plans are unsafe to have an insured price ticket in case they travel.
Connected Travel: This helps travelers combine bus and exercise trips and offers multiple combinations taking into account layover time and total travel time to provide the visitor with various features. Confirmed tickets cannot be obtained in direct exercises or selection exercises for the desired trip. On the date of travel, MakeMyTrip said that this feature offers more features for travelers.
In addition to these, the new features are: assistance with address extension, recommendations of nearby stations, free cancellation, food at the activity, activity tracking and platform locator.
Rajesh Magow, the group’s co-founder and chief executive, said the new features serve the entire exercise adventure, from making plans and identifying the right exercise to the true experience of grocery shopping and all the way to the pre-arrival stages.
Cygnett Hotels and Resorts is expected to open 15 hotels with 1,200 rooms over the next year, the company announced at its annual conference. Currently, the company has 10 homes under development and in the pre-opening phase.
In the next three months, the organization will open new hotels in Sonipat (near Delhi), Mahad in Maharashtra and Jaipur. The company cited a report published through HVS, saying it was time for new hotel hiring in 2023.
Cygnett currently has around 20 operational households in India and Nepal and plans to increase this number to 33 by the end of 2024. It is interested in the northern and northeastern regions of India to expand its presence.
According to online bus ticketing platform redBus, the demand for bus tickets in Delhi has increased by 55%. This corresponds to the summer holidays in the Indian capital.
To meet the growing demand, private bus operators offer more than 1,400 daily buses from Delhi, the company said.
Nearby destinations such as Manali, Kasol, Shimla, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Dehradun, Nainital, and Agra are experiencing the highest demand for buses this summer.
“This data underscores the critical need for bus travel to meet the increased demand of this vital era and the growing trend of Indians taking recreational trips,” said Prakash Sangam, CEO of redBus.
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Photo credit: Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain. Almost 50% of those who visited Madhya Pradesh in 2023 visited Ujjain. Amazing India
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