hometravel NewsYatra says Lakshadweep searches up 30X after Maldives row, see travel opportunities for Ayodhya
Yatra says Lakshadweep searches up 30X after Maldives row, see travel opportunities for Ayodhya
Dhruv Shringi, CEO of the online travel portal said there has been a 70% increase in searches for Ayodhya, with a noticeable month-on-month growth, over the past year.
Searches for Lakshadweep have surged by 3,000% over the last 3-4 days, said Dhruv Shringi, CEO, Yatra Online. Ayodhya is the other destination that has seen a remarkable increase in search volumes, he noted, adding that “We are seeing a lot more focus right now from the consumers perspective on domestic tourism."
Lakshadweep -- India's smallest Union Territory -- is a tropical archipelago of 36 atolls and coral reefs in the Laccadive Sea, off the coast of Kerala. The destination has come into the limelight following diplomatic tensions between India and the Maldives resulting in increased promotion of the domestic tourist location as a preferable alternative.
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Shringi said there has been a 70% increase in searches for Ayodhya, with a noticeable month-on-month growth, over the past year. There's a new travel circuit now with Lucknow, which is just two and half hours drive away, as the base for trips to Ayodhya.
Reacting to the developments in the Maldives, Shringi said Yatra remained hands-off initially. However, "We are actively considering whether to stop promoting the Maldives as a destination. Our current view is to halt proactive promotion while continuing to offer the destination for those who choose it. We believe in providing customers with choices while directing our efforts and energy towards destinations we actively promote."
Over the next three years, Shringi expects the theme of religious travel to become a significant contributor to the Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) sector. This area, with its potential for enhanced booking efficiency and transparency, is expected to drive substantial margin growth. Destinations like Vaishno Devi, Thirupathi, and recently Varanasi have already seen increased traction.
The market capitalisation of Yatra Online is ₹2,399 crore and it competes with industry peers such as goibibo.com, cleartrip.com, and makemytrip.com.
(Edited by : Shweta Mungre)
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