religious tourism in india essay

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The Evolution of Religious Tourism in India – India Report

Bulbul Dhawan , Skift

August 28th, 2024 at 11:00 PM EDT

The importance of religion to tourism in India is well known. India is now investing in marketing and tourism infrastructure - think technology, hotels and other amenities – to attract more visitors.

Bulbul Dhawan

• What initiatives is Zimbabwe undertaking to attract more Indian tourists?
• Why has there been a decline in Indian tourists visiting the Maldives?
• How has the Kashi-Vishwanath corridor impacted tourism in Varanasi?

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• Religious tourism in India has surged post-pandemic, with significant increases in visitors to key pilgrimage sites.
• Lakshadweep has seen a rise in domestic tourists, while Indian visitors to the Maldives have declined.
• Zimbabwe is targeting Indian tourists by offering visa-on-arrival and focusing on adventure tourism.

The article discusses the surge in religious tourism in India post-pandemic, highlighting significant increases in visitors to key pilgrimage sites such as the Vaishno Devi temple and Varanasi, largely driven by infrastructural improvements and technological advancements. The report also notes a rise in domestic tourism to Lakshadweep, contrasted with a decline in Indian visitors to the Maldives. International tourist arrivals to India are still below pre-Covid levels, although foreign exchange earnings have increased. Zimbabwe is making efforts to attract more Indian tourists by offering visa-on-arrival and targeting younger travelers interested in adventure activities. Additionally, an e-pass system has been introduced for Indian tourists visiting the India-Pakistan border in Jaisalmer to streamline the process.

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Did you know: In 2022, the number of domestic tourists who visited Indian pilgrimage sites was more than India’s population – 1.43 billion. 

There has been a surge in spiritual tourism post-pandemic, a new report by consulting firm KPMG says. The Vaishno Devi temple in Jammu and Kashmir, for instance, is now visited by about 32,000 to 40,000 pilgrims a day, up from 10,000-15,000 daily visitors before Covid. A similar phenomenon has been observed at the Golden Temple in Amritsar and the Guruvayur temple in Kerala. 

Speaking with Skift earlier this year, Uttar Pradesh tourism deputy director said that the tourism in the state is witnessing an increase largely due to religious tourism and infrastructural developments. She said that Uttar Pradesh’s tourism industry transformed after the inauguration of the Kashi-Vishwanath corridor in Varanasi in December 2021.

“After that, in 2022 and 2023, a total of about 130 million tourists visited the pilgrim city. The success from this project was also implemented in other parts of the country, including Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh,” she said . 

In its report, KPMG shared that Varanasi received 71.6 million visitors in 2022, and about 122 million in 2023. 

Evolution of Religious Tourism: The report highlighted the factors that are enhancing the concept of religious tourism: 

• Technology is being used to transform how pilgrims access information about the sites. Travel bloggers are playing a key role in helping devotees discover new religious sites to visit. Virtual pilgrimages have also been introduced, especially during the Covid period. Post-pandemic, virtual pilgrimages have continued in the form of live streaming of religious ceremonies, online viewing of deities, and 360-degree virtual tours. 
• Pilgrims are also combining religious visits with medical treatments or wellness retreats, as ayurvedic centers, yoga retreats, and spiritual healing practices being integrated into religious tourism offerings.
• Improvement in connectivity and supporting infrastructure is also boosting traffic to religious sites. “The improved physical accessibility to destinations, Ecosystem of travel and facilities like hotel to stay, amenities, tours and travel packages have helped visitors in making impromptu decision to travel to any destination,” the report said.
• Youth are increasingly being interested in spiritual tourism, not only due to spiritual inclination but also because of the desire to understand the history of these sites. This is leading to a diversified approach of including preservation of these sites, education programs, and immersive cultural experiences to the concept of religious tourism. 

Lakshadweep Gains Indian Tourists as Maldives Visitors Decline

Lakshadweep archipelago in India has been gaining popularity among Indian tourists, while visitors to Maldives have declined after diplomatic tensions flared between the two countries earlier this year . In the April to June quarter this year, the Agatti airport in Lakshadweep handled about 23,000 passengers, more than double from the same period last year. 

The surge in visitors to Lakshadweep came as flight services and seat availability increased due to more frequent operations by Alliance Air, and commencement of services by IndiGo and Fly91. Compared to last year, there was an 88% increase in the number of flights to Agatti, the only airport in Lakshadweep. 

On the other hand, there was a nearly 50% decline in the number of Indian tourists during the quarter from last year, while Chinese tourists surged. Consequently, China became the top source market for Maldives in the first half of 2024, taking over India, which fell to sixth place. 

Foreign Tourist Arrivals Remain Lower Than Pre-Covid Levels

International tourists in India in the first six months of 2024 stood at about 4.78 million, up 9% from last year. However, the figure was 10% less than pre-Covid levels of 5.3 million. The decline has come even as the international footfall at Indian airports has increased close to 10% in the April to June quarter this year, compared to 2019. 

Meanwhile, foreign exchange earnings have increased by 5.5% from 2019. This means that international spending has increased. 

Last month, World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) had said that in 2023, international visitor spending in India was over 14% less than pre-Covid levels , while projecting a 17% increase in the figure this year. 

Zimbabwe Aiming to Make India Its Top Source

In 2023, more than 17,000 Indian tourists visited Zimbabwe. The country is confident that this figure will double in 2024, Tongai M Mnangagwa, Deputy Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry for Zimbabwe, said during his recent visit to India. 

Earlier this year, Zimbabwe announced visa-on-arrival for Indian nationals, eliminating the need for any prior documentation. Mnangagwa said that the country is focusing on attracting all tourist segments in India, observing that most Indian tourists are young and prefer adventure activities. 

India is currently the eighth largest source market for Zimbabwe. The minister is hopeful that the marketing initiatives would help boost India to become the first or second-largest source market. 

E-Pass for India-Pakistan Border in Jaisalmer Launched

The Border Security Force (BSF) has launched an e-pass facility for Indian tourists visiting the India-Pakistan border in Jaisalmer. Tourists can visit the Shri Tanot Mata temple website and register for the e-pass after furnishing their details and submitting the IDs needed. 

The move is aimed to reduce the queues at the BSF counters at the temple, where tourist registrations currently take place. The facility is only available to Indian tourists, as foreign tourists require prior permission from government officials to visit the border.

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Tags: destinations international , india , india outbound , maldives , religion , religious travel , skift india report , tourism , travel spending , travel trends , zimbabwe

Photo credit: 100,000 people visit Golden Temple in Amritsar every day. Nav Photography / Pexels

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Religious to Spiritual Tourism - An Era of Paradigm Shift in India

15 Pages Posted: 26 Mar 2020

Subhadeep Mukherjee

Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology

Soumendra Bhattacharjee

Birla institute of technology (bit), mesra, seema singha, dibrugarh university - department of commerce.

Date Written: February 15, 2020

Though it has been practiced from ancient times but still the phenomena of Spiritual Tourism is very much complex in the present era as it has not been recognized as a type of separate tourism. The emergent popularity of various spiritual practices of India in the western context has stimulated the visitor from the other part of the world to visit the land of spiritualism (India) for enhancing their self-consciousness. Billions of tourist are crossing the international borders, as they have never traveled so much and have not communicated with these diverse expressions of spirituality, faith and culture. The interaction stimulated by such encounters has the potential to evoke deep spiritual experiences and trans-formative spiritual growth. In a country like India where tourism is in the limelight for the religious pilgrims from many decades, but in the current scenario it is being observed that there is a huge migration of tourists from the western part of the world in terms of ‘Spiritual Tourism’. This Paper emphasizes the emergence of spiritual tourism as there is a dearth of fundamental academic research and it is important to do further research & investigation in the subject. It has also explored the potential growth and suggested the promotional strategies for the development of the Tourism Industry in term of spiritual tourism in India.

Keywords: Spirituality, Tourism, Consciousness, Tourist, Spiritual Tourism

JEL Classification: I31, M10, Z12, Z32

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Subhadeep Mukherjee (Contact Author)

Sikkim manipal institute of technology ( email ).

Department of Management Studies Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology Majitar, East Sikkim 737136 India 8910133283 (Phone)

Mesra Ranchi, 835215 India

Dibrugarh India

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Next stop: The land of God

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A geospatial approach to enhance religious tourism in India—A case of Ujjain city, Madhya Pradesh

• Published: 18 November 2020
• Volume 87 , pages 1793–1810, ( 2022 )

Cite this article

• Kakoli Saha   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-0686-6502 1 ,
• Rajrani Kalra 2 &
• Rachna Khare 3  

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Religious tourism has been in practice for centuries in India. There are several religious tourist spots spread across India that belong to different religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Islam. Ujjain city is located in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, and has been selected as a case study for this paper because of its 5000 year long history. Considering the importance of the city from the aspect of religious tourism, this paper aims to address the issue of improving the universal accessibility status of Ujjain city in the context of the mobility of a religious tourist with disability. This research addresses an overarching research question: Can GIS technology enhance religious tourism for the visitor with disability in Ujjain city? In this research, an accessibility assessment was performed using universal access audit checklist. Accessibility and related approaches such as “Inclusive Design” or “Design for All,” aims to produce systems that can be used by everyone, regardless of their physical or cognitive skills. The entire road network of Ujjain city was digitized in GIS platform. Major road stretches were selected and an accessibility audit was performed using a purpose made checklist suitable in the Indian context. The Multiple Criteria Evaluation technique in GIS environment is utilized, with a map showing hierarchy of accessible zones prepared for Ujjain city. The map would help the local authority to make Ujjain city more accessible for differently abled and aged visitors. Improvement in tourism would result in high revenue generation ultimately benefitting the city residents. Moreover, the proposed technique may be adopted by other such cities endowed with religious destinations as India is a land of several religions.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank and acknowledge Mr. Sauvik Adhikari, Mr. Udit Sarkar and all the students of Masters of Urban and Regional Planning Studio, SPA Bhopal for conducting the survey. The authors are thankful to Ministry of Human Resource Development for funding part of the the research through Design Innovation Centre (DIC) project titled “Universal Design Innovation for Heritage.” The authors would also like to thank the editor and anonymous reviewers for reviewing an ealier version of this paper and for providing valuable suggestions. Authors are also grateful to Ar. Gaurab Das Mahapatra for providing reference material. 

The research is funded by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India through Design Innovation Centre (DIC) project titled “Universal Design Innovation for Heritage.”

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Saha, K., Kalra, R. & Khare, R. A geospatial approach to enhance religious tourism in India—A case of Ujjain city, Madhya Pradesh. GeoJournal 87 , 1793–1810 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-020-10334-w

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-020-10334-w

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Hotelier India

The rise and rise of spiritual tourism

• 70 million people visited the Kashi Vishwanath Dham in Varanasi last year after its renovation compared to around eight million a year earlier.

• The number of domestic tourists that visited places of pilgrimage were 1,433 million in 2022, while 6.64 million foreign tourists visited India. In 2021, the numbers stood at 677 million and 1.05 million, respectively.

• More than 60% of tourism in India is associated with religious and spiritual tourism.

• The places of religious tourism earned 1,34,543 crore in 2022, up from 65,070 crore in 2021, as per data released by the Ministry of Tourism.

• 2023 travel predictions claim that nearly 70% of Indian travellers are seeking to try a spiritual stay, which includes meditation and mindfulness getaways, while 63% are looking at silent retreats.

Travel is at an all-time high. And spiritual tourism – travel motivated by spiritual or religious reasons – is the new trend among travellers. Although both concepts have common aspects, while religious tourism focuses on the visiting of religious sites, monuments or destinations, spiritual tourism prioritises inner journey, contributing to elevate one’s physical, mental and emotional energies. But for all practical purposes, ‘spiritual tourism’, as a term, is used broadly to include religious tourism as well.

And going by the above statistics, spiritual/ religious tourism is undoubtedly leading India’s travel recovery as more and more Indians are visiting spiritual or religious destinations now than ever before. In fact, even international tourists in the country are on the rise. Hotelier India speaks to industry leaders, Government authorities and experts to get you the inside story behind this rising travel trend. We also give you a sneak peek into what the hotel, travel and tourism industries are doing to cater to this growing tribe of travellers…

Of Revival And Restoration

From beautifully carved temples and opulent mosques, to splendid churches and resplendent gurudwaras, India has always been known as the land of spirituality. The vibrant spiritual destinations held a special charm in the hearts of Westerners too. While the Government of India launched campaigns like the ‘Incredible India’ to boost tourism, it was only in 2015 that it widened its scope to include spiritual tourism in it.

Recognizing the significant economic and cultural benefits spiritual tourism can bring to the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced schemes such as PRASAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive) in 2015. Focusing on developing pilgrimage sites across India, Modi’s efforts to promote spiritual tourism were part of a broader strategy – to boost tourism in the country and showcase India’s cultural and spiritual diversity to the world. The seeds that were sown then are reaping rewards now… Under the PRASAD Scheme, 41 religious sites from 25 states were identified for development in the country.

Some of the sites include Amaravati and Srisailam (Andhra Pradesh), Patna and Gaya (Bihar), Dwarka and Somnath (Gujarat), Gurudwara Nada Saheb, Panchkula (Haryana), Hazratbal and Katra (Jammu & Kashmir), Deogarh and Parasnath (Jharkhand), Chamundeshwari Devi, Mysuru (Karnataka), Guruvayoor, St Thomas International Shrine, (Malayattoor), Omkareshwar and Amarkantak (Madhya Pradesh), Trimbakeshwar (Maharashtra), Puri (Odisha), Amritsar (Punjab), Ajmer (Rajasthan), Kanchipuram and Vellankani (Tamil Nadu), Tripura Sundari (Tripura), Varanasi and Mathura (Uttar Pradesh), Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri (Uttarakhand) and Belur (West Bengal).

Renovation of pilgrim sites, development of transportation systems – roadways, railways and waterways, generation of employment and tourism traffic growth were some of the objectives of the PRASAD Scheme. The projects that have been successfully completed in the last eight years are the Kashi Vishwanath, Somnath, Kedarnath and Mahakaleshwar Jyotirling Temples, among scores of others. And many are under development as well. The ambitious ` 20,000 crore Ayodhya project, to be completed next year, is being developed as a global tourism hub and spiritual centre – one that coming generations will want to visit at least once in their life-time, in the words of Modi.

Sachin Kurve, Secretary Tourism and CEO of Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board, giving a fair estimate of the growth of spiritual tourism in the country, says, “The travel and tourism industry experts feel that for the next five years, every year, this segment has the potential to grow by 20-30%.”

Travel On A Rebound

While a big spike in spiritual tourism can be attributed to Modi’s plan of reviving religious destinations across the length and breadth of the country, experts also believe that with travel restrictions becoming a thing of the past, the urge to travel as a result of pent-up demand coupled with people reprioritizing and rethinking their spiritual and mental well-being during the pandemic has also led to travellers seeking spiritual or wellness experiences.

Says Santosh Kumar, Country Manager, India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia, Booking.com, a leading online travel agency, “According to Booking.com’s Travel Predictions 2023 survey, this year is likely to see a shift in why we are looking to get away as well as the types of vacations we take. Nearly 70% of Indian travellers are seeking to try a spiritual stay, which includes meditation and mindfulness getaways, while 63% are looking at silent retreats. “Moreover, the Government of India, through various initiatives including the PRASAD and Swadesh Darshan Schemes, has improved connectivity and infrastructure, bringing about enhanced experiences that are further fuelling this trend. From showing their gratitude for good health to wanting to rejuvenate and break away from their stressful lives, people are visiting several spiritual places across India.”

At Booking.com, their aim has always been to provide a holistic experience to travellers. “As part of this, we firmly believe that local experiences are essential to any trip and work closely with our partners to offers attractions and experiences to those seeking a spiritual journey such as spiritual walking tours in Varanasi, yoga and meditation classes in Pushkar, Rishikesh morning ashram tours, the Golden Temple tour in Amritsar and much more, which can be easily booked on Booking.com platform or app,” he adds.

Gen Z: The New Spiritual Travellers

Thomas Cook, India’s leading travel services’ company and its Group company SOTC Travels’ consumer data indicates that the companies’ spiritual tourism segment is witnessing a significant uptick of approximately 40% vs pre-pandemic. With a strategic intent to target this increased demand, Thomas Cook and SOTC have expanded their spiritual journeys/ darshans’ portfolio with ready-to-book and customizable tours across India’s top preferred spiritual locales like Char Dham, Do Dham, Ramayan Trails (Ayodhya, Chitrakoot, Rameshwaram), Prayagraj, Kashi-Vishwanath corridor, Vaishno Devi, Varanasi, Rath Yatra, Bodhgaya; also the Tamil Nadu temple circuit of Chennai, Tirupati, Kanchipuram, Pondicherry, Mahabalipuram, and more.

While historically India’s seniors/ Gen S comprised a key segment for pilgrimages, Thomas Cook and SOTC have seen an uptick in demand from segments like multigenerational families and honeymooners/ couples.

What is noteworthy is that the companies are witnessing a discernable shift – with increasing demand (over 25% Vs 2019) from India’s millennials and Gen Z. However, consumer data/ insights reveal that the demand is not restricted to traditional pilgrimages but for pilgrimage plus or spiritual products.

Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head – Holidays, MICE, Visa, Thomas Cook (India) Limited, says, “The concept of spiritual tourism is evolving rapidly and is gaining momentum not only from Gen S but also young India’s Gen Z and millennials. We are witnessing an uptick in demand emerging from India’s metros and mini metros, in addition to tier 2 and 3 cities. To tap into this significant opportunity, we have expanded our spiritual journeys/ darshans portfolio to include unique and customizable experiences like outdoor adventure such as white water rafting/ bungee jumping and local cuisine trails. Our diverse range extends across affordable to luxury price points.”

The companies have hence designed an attractive range that features a combination of spiritual breaks with unique local experiences and outdoor adventure like white-water rafting and night trekking in Vaishno Devi, Rameswaram – a hub for fun or diving with PADI professionals, bungee jumping in Rishikesh etc. Also, unique experiences like magnificent views of sunsets from the ghats, boating on the Ganges or exploring the weaver’s village in Varanasi; learning a local art like Kalayaripayattu and authentic local food trails in Kerala, are part of their packages.

Their customized pilgrimage plus tours also include meditation, yoga, and wellness programs like the Panchakarma ayurvedic program at Kumarakom, yoga centre/ ashram in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand etc.

Hospitality For The Spiritual Seekers

While travel companies are doing their bit to cater to this rising segment of travellers, hoteliers are not far behind. Parveen Chander Kumar, Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing, IHCL (Indian Hotels Company Limited), says, “Spiritual tourism, having existed since antiquity, has gained an increasing role throughout the world. This is an important segment for IHCL and we already have many hotels in significant destinations like Varanasi, Amritsar, Nashik, Ajmer, Katra, Rishikesh and Tirupati among others.”

However, he also believes that spiritual or religious travel within domestic tourism is a largely untapped market. “IHCL is looking to strengthen its footprint across markets and price points. In the recent past, IHCL signed two hotels in Ayodhya and has also signed a hotel in Makkah, close to the Great Mosque,” he adds.

According to Anil Chadha, Divisional Chief Executive – ITC Hotels, spiritual tourism in India has been gaining popularity, drawing interest from travellers not just within India but from all over the world and spurring an increase in demand of hotel properties in tier 2 and tier 3 cities.

“At ITC Hotels, we understand that travel is not just about discovering places, as travellers are increasingly seeking luxurious and comfortable stays with great hospitality while exploring the spiritual heritage of India along with authentic, offbeat and serene moments rooted in local culture and tradition. Our properties – Mementos Udaipur, Welcomhotel Katra, Storii, Dharamshala, Welcomhotel Amritsar and Fortune Park in Haridwar – endeavour to provide guests with memorable stays that leave them feeling enriched. Whether it’s through mindfulness activities, yoga, meditation, or visits to sacred sites, we are committed to catering to the needs of travellers seeking fulfilling experiences,” informs Chadha.

Spiritual Tourism – Less Affected In Pandemic

Vikramjit Singh, President, Lemon Tree Hotels, however, states that spiritual/ pilgrim tourism was one of the lesser affected segments even during the two years of the pandemic. “We opened our Lemon Tree Premier in Dwarka, Gujarat, right opposite the Dwarkadish temple in the first unlock in 2020, and saw good occupancies and ARRs (Average Room Rates) at the hotel. Simultaneously, our operating hotels in locations like Rishikesh and Katra continued to perform better than other group hotels during the two years. We have noticed over the years that pilgrim/ spiritual tourism is impacted less by economic downturns than other segments, which we witnessed this time as well. We also feel that part of the reason for the segment to perform during the unlock periods of the pandemic was that visiting these destinations gave people a sense of calm and faith during an otherwise trying time.”

As for his brand’s future plans in this segment, he reveals that he has signed hotels through the management and franchise routes in McLeodganj in Dharamshala and Haridwar in Uttarakhand, and they are also in discussions to sign hotels in other key spiritual tourism destinations.

The Rise Of Praycations

Zubin Saxena, Managing Director & Area Senior Vice President – South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group, opines, “Religious destinations in Bharat mirror the influx in demand for travel and have grown significantly in the last couple of years in tandem with the rise of domestic tourism. At Radisson Hotel Group, we have observed an uptick in praycations. A majority of our hotels in locations with religious significance enjoy reasonable occupancy all year round which peaks around auspicious dates and seasons.

With a strong domestic network of 110 operating hotels in India, we are present in several religious destinations like Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Amritsar, Nathdwara, Katra and will soon be opening hotels in Ujjain, Prayagraj, Deoghar, and Guruvayur. We are further exploring opportunities in locations like Tirupati. These hotels are witnessing good footfalls and will continue to be a growth area for us in the future.”

According to Monisha Dewan, Senior Area Director Sales & Distribution – South Asia, Marriott International, spiritual tourism has increased in India for several reasons: The first being improvement in infrastructure – be it accommodation or connectivity. “Many reputed hotel brands now have their presence in these destinations. The ease of booking, safety and quality accommodation is a strong reason why travel to these destinations has increased. The Government has invested in infrastructure such as airports, roads and hotels, to make spiritual destinations more accessible to tourists,” says Dewan.

Secondly, she believes that the COVID phase was a very difficult time which impacted people’s health, mental wellbeing, and their source of income. “During this period, many people turned towards spirituality. Hence spiritual destinations were preferred. At the same time, there has been a growing interest in wellness post-COVID, which fuelled spiritual tourism. In some of our spiritual destinations, especially Amritsar, we are seeing corporate MICE business, where a visit to the shrines is included as an activity.” As for Marriott’s plan to cater to this growing segment, she says, “We do have robust expansion plans. Marriott International currently has active hotels across Amritsar, Madurai and Trichy. This will be followed by Katra in Jammu (scheduled to open in Jan 2024). Apart from these locations, our pipeline will ensure there is a Marriott hotel present in leading pilgrim destination across India over the next few years to come.”

New Focus, New Energy

Sandeep Maitraya, Director, Crimson Hotels Pvt Ltd, points out that though India is a melange of all the major religions of the world, focus on this segment of travellers was non-existent due to reasons of connectivity and accommodation. “In the past few years, connectivity has become better to these places due to a vast increase in the quality of highways, new airports, railway lines and not to forget the social media limelight of these places. The outbreak of COVID has also resulted in people taking refuge in religion and pilgrimage,” avers Maitraya.

Incidentally, Crimson Hotels recently took over the management of Dabar-E-Khas Boutique Hotel in Bareilly, a part of the Government of India Smart City Project with excellent connectivity by road, railway network and a swanky airport. Adds Maitraya, “The city, as per ancient scriptures, is known to be a part of the ancient kingdom of ‘Panchal’, the birthplace of Maharani Draupadi. Bareilly has three famous spiritual places – Alakha Nath, Trivati Nath, Madhi Nath – and Dhopeshwar Nath Temples at the four corners of the city. So Bareilly is known as Nath Nagri (city of Lord Shiva). Devotees comes in hoards to visit these ancient temples.

“Bareilly Sharif Dargah or Dargah-e-Aala Hazrat monument of Ahmed Raza Khan is famous for its annual Urs festival. The Dargah is famous amongst artists belonging to music. Our hotel, being in close proximity to Bareilly airport, is a preferred destination for people visiting these spiritual places. The hotel arranges tours to these places for in-house guests. Almost 15-20% of our current business is from the guests travelling for pilgrimage and is likely to increase to approximately 30%.”

Manish Goyal, Director, Stotrak Hospitality, also credits the Government’s PRASAD Scheme for the increase in spiritual tourism, which he believes existed since time immemorial but got a recent boost few years ago.

Says Goyal, “Our hotels, based in Rishikesh, have benefitted the most as Rishikesh is the starting and ending point of Char Dham yatra in Uttarakhand. We operate three hotels in Rishikesh and are partnering with White Heavens camp in Guptkashi to cater to spiritual tourism. Our hotel, Sukoon Retreat and Spa, is the most sought after hotel near Paonta Sahib Gurudwara.”

While Kurve concludes that improved information and connectivity of destinations, digital booking modes, Wi-Fi availability, direct flights, better accommodation and unique cultural experiences are some of the other factors that have contributed to the rise of spiritual tourism in India, one thing is for sure: Gen S (Seniors), X, Y or Z, this is one segment that is currently a hot favourite among travellers of all ages and will continue to top the list…

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Religious tourism in India - statistics & facts

Sites of religious significance, limitations and efforts in boosting spiritual tourism, key insights.

Detailed statistics

Total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP in India 2013-2023

Revenue share from tourism in India 2013-2023, by segment

Religious affiliation in India in 2011

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Leisure Travel

Size of the global religious tourism market 2022-2033

Tourism expenditure for PRASHAD India FY 2021-2025

Estimated daily pilgrims India 2022, by select temple

Further recommended statistics

• Premium Statistic Distribution of travel and tourism GDP in India FY 2023, by type of visitor
• Premium Statistic Distribution of direct travel and tourism GDP in India FY 2023, by spending type
• Basic Statistic Share of tourists India 2019-2028, by expenditure

Distribution of travel and tourism GDP in India FY 2023, by type of visitor

Distribution of travel and tourism GDP in India in financial year 2023, by type of visitor

Distribution of direct travel and tourism GDP in India FY 2023, by spending type

Distribution of direct travel and tourism GDP in India in the financial year 2023, by spending type

Share of tourists India 2019-2028, by expenditure

Share of tourists in India from 2019 to 2023, with a forecast for 2028, by expenditure

Pilgrim-focused initatives

• Premium Statistic Tourism promotion and publicity expenditure India FY 2021-2025, by type
• Premium Statistic Tourism expenditure for Swadesh Darshan India FY 2021-2025
• Premium Statistic Amount sanctioned under Swadesh Darshan Scheme in India January 2024, by theme
• Premium Statistic Tourism expenditure for PRASHAD India FY 2021-2025

Tourism promotion and publicity expenditure India FY 2021-2025, by type

Tourism expenditure of promotion and publicity across India from financial year 2021 to 2023, with estimates until 2025, by type (in million Indian rupees)

Tourism expenditure for Swadesh Darshan India FY 2021-2025

Expenditure of Swadesh Darshan across India from financial year 2021 to 2023, with estimates until 2025 (in million Indian rupees)

Amount sanctioned under Swadesh Darshan Scheme in India January 2024, by theme

Amount sanctioned under Swadesh Darshan Scheme in India as of January 2024, by theme (in billion Indian rupees)

Expenditure of Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD) across India form financial year 2021 to 2023, with estimates until 2025 (in million Indian rupees)

Hajj pilgrims

• Premium Statistic Number of foreign and domestic Hajj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia 2023
• Premium Statistic Quota of foreign Hajj and Umrah pilgrims Saudi Arabia 2023 by country of origin
• Premium Statistic Number of Indians departing to Saudi Arabia 2009-2022
• Premium Statistic Number of Hajj pilgrims from India 1990-2023

Number of foreign and domestic Hajj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia 2023

Number of foreign and domestic Hajj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia in 2023

Quota of foreign Hajj and Umrah pilgrims Saudi Arabia 2023 by country of origin

Quota of foreign Umrah and Hajj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia in 2023, by selected country of origin (in 1,000s)

Number of Indians departing to Saudi Arabia 2009-2022

Number of Indian nationals departing from India to Saudi Arabia between 2009 and 2022 (in 1,000s)

Number of Hajj pilgrims from India 1990-2023

Number of pilgrims performing Hajj from India from 1990 to 2023

Monuments of religious significance

• Premium Statistic Number of domestic visitors to ticketed monuments India FY 2023
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic visitors to Sarnath monuments India FY 2023
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic visitors to Bhubaneshwar monuments India FY 2023
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic visitors to monuments around Bhopal India FY 2023
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic visitors to Dharwad and Hampi circle monuments India FY 2023
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic visitors to Bengaluru and Goa monuments India FY 2023

Number of domestic visitors to ticketed monuments India FY 2023

Leading ticketed monuments in India in financial year 2023, by number of domestic visitors (in 1,000s)

Number of domestic visitors to Sarnath monuments India FY 2023

Number of domestic visitors to monuments across the circle of Sarnath in India in financial year 2023 (in 1,000s)

Number of domestic visitors to Bhubaneshwar monuments India FY 2023

Number of domestic visitors to monuments across the circle of Bhubaneshwar in India in financial year 2023 (in 1,000s)

Number of domestic visitors to monuments around Bhopal India FY 2023

Number of domestic visitors to monuments across Bhopal and Jabalpur circle in India in financial year 2023 (in 1,000s)

Number of domestic visitors to Dharwad and Hampi circle monuments India FY 2023

Number of domestic visitors to monuments across the circles of Dharwad and Hampi in India in financial year 2023 (in 1,000s)

Number of domestic visitors to Bengaluru and Goa monuments India FY 2023

Number of domestic visitors to monuments across the circles of Bengaluru and Goa in India in financial year 2023 in 1,000s)

Cities with spiritual destinations

• Premium Statistic Number of tourist visits in UP Buddhist circuit India 2019-2021, by destination
• Premium Statistic Number of tourist visits of Rishikesh in India 2016-2021
• Premium Statistic Number of tourist visits of Kedarnath in India 2016-2021
• Premium Statistic Number of tourist visits to Varanasi India 2021, by destination
• Premium Statistic Number of tourist visits to Ayodhya India 2021, by destination
• Premium Statistic Number of tourist visits to Mathura India 2017-2022

Number of tourist visits in UP Buddhist circuit India 2019-2021, by destination

Number of tourist visits in Uttar Pradesh Buddhist circuit in India from 2019 to 2021, by destination

Number of tourist visits of Rishikesh in India 2016-2021

Number of tourist visits of Rishikesh in India from 2016 to 2021 (in 1,000s)

Number of tourist visits of Kedarnath in India 2016-2021

Number of tourist visits of Kedarnath in India from 2016 to 2021 (in 1,000s)

Number of tourist visits to Varanasi India 2021, by destination

Number of tourist visits to Varanasi in India in 2021, by destination

Number of tourist visits to Ayodhya India 2021, by destination

Number of tourist visits to Ayodhya in India in 2021, by destination

Number of tourist visits to Mathura India 2017-2022

Number of tourist visits to Mathura in India from 2017 to 2022

Siginificant religious sites

• Premium Statistic Estimated construction cost of selected religious projects in India 2024
• Premium Statistic Total donations for Ram temple's construction in India 2024
• Premium Statistic Number of tourist visits of Vaishno Devi in India 2016-2023
• Premium Statistic Number of daily pilgrims to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams 2022-2024
• Premium Statistic Domestic tourist visits to Guruvayoor India 2018-2022

Estimated construction cost of selected religious projects in India 2024

Estimated construction cost of selected religious projects in India as of January 2024 (in billion Indian rupees)

Total donations for Ram temple's construction in India 2024

Total donations made for construction of Ram temple in India as of January 2024 (in billion Indian rupees)

Number of tourist visits of Vaishno Devi in India 2016-2023

Number of tourist visits of Vaishno Devi in India from 2016 to 2023 (in millions)

Number of daily pilgrims to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams 2022-2024

Number of daily pilgrims to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams from January 2022 to February 2024

Domestic tourist visits to Guruvayoor India 2018-2022

Total number of domestic tourists to Guruvayoor in India from 2018 to 2022

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ROLE OF RELIGIOUS SITES IN DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM INDUSTRY IN INDIA .

This paper describes about the impact of religious sites in development of tourism industry in India. There are two distinct aspects to Religious Tourism in India; one, the faith of the domestic tourist, who has a spiritual attachment to the deity/ destination in line with their religious beliefs; the other is the 'foreign' tourist, someone belonging to a different religion, region or country, for whom the destination and the religious practices have the dimension of 'novelty', a spiritual experience different from their own, despite the ethical values being delivered remaining the same.From the domestic market's perspective, there is a fine line dividing business and belief. Many Temples, Mosques, Churches, Gurudwaras and other major religious centres, in today's socio-economic structures, are tangible assets in terms of infrastructure and the workforce they employ, thereby implying that the institution has to monetize itself in order to be able to meet its everyday survival in societal environments.

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Globalization and digitization are motivating organizations around the world to manage and internationalize their products and services. Adaptively, most Asian companies are internationalizing their businesses with respect to various industries; one obvious example is the tourism industry. The global tourism industry can be segmented into niche types such as heritage tourism, dark tourism, medical tourism, including spiritual tourism. The objective of this paper is to analyze the rise of spiritual tourism in South Asian countries and discusses its operations that are internationalized rather than being region-centric or locally focused. It is argued that public and private tourism operators in South Asia have realized that spiritual tourism presents an attractive product to invest and market based on people, places, and events. However, the challenge is to internationalize multi-faith spiritual tourism in the context of people, places, and events that would be the only way to develop and sustain this niche segment of the tourism business. It is discussed that there are various factors that could enable South Asian countries to effectively internationalize their spiritual tourism destinations. The paper concludes that business internationalization of South Asian spiritual tourism, will not only achieve economic development objectives, but also social and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and bi-lateral diplomatic goals for regional peace and prosperity.

Tanvi Madaan

Andrea Farran

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This paper will investigate the effects of religion in strengthening a society, especially the economy, or weakening it. Religion often promotes stability and tractability in a nation’s citizens. However, it can also have negative effects, causing distress to people and making the economy suffer. A religion with a pessimistic world view, a tenuous relationship with God and a perception that God can inflict punishment can actually break down social order while one with an optimistic view can stabilize it. We will also look at the impact of religion on economy in various cities, and nations, examining religion as a billion dollar industry. This paper will also investigate the effect of religion on building up the economy of a nation, especially the formation of new jobs, development of foreign direct investment, attraction of religious tourists and peripheral effects.

Kiran Shinde

Large scale movement of visitors during pilgrimages has a high potential to influence the environment in sacred sites. In traditional pilgrimage, environmental effects are governed by seasonality and are limited over time and space. This paper argues that significant changes in scale, frequency and character of such visitation over the past few decades reflect new pressures on the environment of sacred sites. Using a case study of the sacred complex of Tirumala-Tirupati, a popular pilgrimage centre in south India, this paper explores causal linkages between different factors that shape the environment in a pilgrimage centre.

Religious tourism constitutes the dominant form of tourism in India and yet little is known about how it is governed and managed. This paper aims to contribute to a better understanding of governance and management of religious tourism. It first provides an overview of policy framework and governance mechanisms that are relevant for religious tourism. Then a market profile is presented to examine how the religious tourism economy intersects with the state-apparatus of policies and institutions. To better explain the complexities of religious tourism, the paper employs the axis of formal-informal economy: the informal end is where the religious tourism economy is based on the traditional practice of pilgrimage, that relies on the informal networks built around social patronage relationships between visitors and religious actors; while at the formal end, it is often the state-sponsored and/or public charitable trusts that act as corporate religious bodies for providing and organising a range of services in religious tourism. Detailed studies of two sites - Vrindavan and Shirdi - provide the empirical data. The pilgrimage-town of Vrindavan in the state of Uttar Pradesh in north India represents the former; the pilgrimage town of Shirdi in the western state of Maharashtra is an example of the latter. Vrindavan is associated with traditional religious practice and sacred geography pertaining to the Hindu god Krishna while Shirdi is dedicated to a 20th century saint, Sai Baba. Consequently, the former involves elaborate rituals and performances while the latter is fairly limited in terms of visitors’ engagement, and exhibits more mass-tourism-like features. The analytical triad of religious geography - specialists - performances is used to explore the range of management systems involved in the religious tourism of the two sites. It is found that the transformations of the religious tourism economy from a traditional pilgrimage practice bring in uneasy tensions: while religious actors actively participate in promotion and management of the religious tourism economy at local levels, they hardly shoulder responsibilities of addressing the negative environmental impacts. Thus, there is often an ‘institutional vacuum’ in dealing with both direct and indirect impacts of religious tourism. The paper shows how the reality of religious tourism is at odds with the state’s envisioned role since it largely operates beyond the state-policy framework. The paper argues that identifying the formal and informal systems in management can help to better address the multi-faceted impacts of religious tourism and contribute in developing measures for its sustainability.

Religious Journeys in India: Pilgrims, Tourists, and Travelers. Eds. Andrea Pinkney & John Whalen-Bridge

This chapter offers a detailed discussion of the religious theme park of Anand Sagar in Shegaon. Providing an overview of the park experience for visitors through its exhibits and signage, it is argued that the park seems to fulfill recreational needs more than religious ideology, the merging of these themes in fact augments the pilgrimage to the Gajanan Maharaj in Shegaon. It is shown that the paradoxical nature of Anand Sagar as a new kind of commoditized tourist destination has encouraged religious travel by using recreation instrumentally.

Rana P.B. SINGH

As globalization accelerates, the expansion of pilgrimage has encouraged environmental cleanliness and eco-development programmes having commitment to protect our living planet sustainably and awakening ourselves though deeper experiences – from realisation to revelation. The Green Pilgrimage Network initiative (GPN) has made the path easy and accessible. The Hindu temples should become models of care and respect for the Mother Nature, reflecting the deep values of Vedic tradition. The strategy of planning and conservation of sacred sites under IUCN are also important to link with pilgrimage-tourism on the line of the initiatives taken by the Green Pilgrimage Network initiative (GPN) organised by the Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC) and the Bhumi Project. Already several pilgrim cities are registered in the GPN. Tirupati-Tirumala presents a model, and followed up by Sabarimala and Rishikesh. Use of faith-based system and pilgrimages would give a new response to environmental sensitivity and conservation. Keywords: ecosystem, faithscape, Green Pilgrimage, Bhumi Project, Sabarimala, sacred sites, spatiality, spirituality, spiritual resort, Tirupati.

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