More tourists visit the Statue of Unity in Gujarat than the Statue of Liberty in the US, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday as almost 50 lakh tourists have visited the former since it was opened over two years ago.

Flagging off eight trains to Kevadia from across the country, the Prime Minister said via a video conference that “it is estimated in a survey that as the connectivity increases, over one lakh people will visit Kevadia daily.

“Today, Kevadia is no longer a small block located in a remote area of Gujarat but is emerging as the world’s biggest tourist destination. More people have started visiting the Statue of Unity compared to the Statue of Liberty. After its inauguration, nearly 50 lakh people have visited it,” the prime minister pointed out.

“Despite everything remaining closed for months during the coronavirus pandemic, the number of tourists visiting Kevadia is increasing fast,” PM Modi said.

PM Modi had inaugurated the Statue of Unity, billed as the world’s tallest, in October 2018 on the occasion of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s 143rd birth anniversary.

Besides tourists visiting the Statue of Unity, locals will be the biggest beneficiary of the new rail connectivity, PM Modi said. Even the pilgrims visiting a few centres located in the region will get the benefit of new trains to Kevadia, he added.