Spiritual Tourism on the Rise!
Which spiritual destinations are booming? And why? Read on.
It's a new year, a new trend.
This year's trend?
Spiritual tourism.
Nah, we're not saying this.
Hard cold data is.
Read on.
Let's get straight to some facts:
👉 60% increase in bookings to temple towns like Puri, Ujjain and Varanasi in recent months
👉 20% surge in airfares to these towns
👉 20% rise in occupancy and room rates in these towns
Take a guess: what's the most popular tourist destination?
Ayodhya!
Yes, people are packing their bags for the inauguration of Ram Mandir on January 22, 2024.
The event is expected to attract ~30 lakh visitors, including 1,500 - 1,600 eminent guests!
How is the city preparing for the grand event?
Well, the government has allocated Rs. 15,700 Crore for various projects in Ayodhya:
👉 Air India and Indigo launched direct flights to improve connectivity.
👉 The Ayodhya railway station has been redeveloped for convenience and better experience.
👉 Four roads have been redeveloped (Rampath, Bhaktipath, Dharampath, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Path) to help pilgrims reach temples easily.
👉 Holy Ayodhya app: for real-time updates on parking, accommodations and puja times.
Result?
Demand surged.
Look what Ritesh Agarwal, founder and CEO of OYO posted on New Year's Eve:
Shocking?
Here's another stat:
Ayodhya Tent City, priced Rs 20,000 - Rs 30,000 per night, is already sold out during Jan 20 - Jan 27!
To cater to this demand, investments of ~Rs 350 crore are planned for the construction of hotels in Ayodhya.
The trend is clear: Spiritual tourism in India is rising.
In 2022 alone, spiritual cities in India welcomed 1.43 billion domestic pilgrims and 6.19 million international tourists.
What were the demand trends in 2023, you ask?
👉 EaseMyTrip saw a 45% surge in travel bookings to spiritual destinations.
👉 Search results on Booking.com showed higher demand for spiritual destinations like Varanasi, Amritsar, Rishikesh, Puri and Tirupati.
👉 Occupancy rates in hotels in these cities were 80 - 95%.
Now, it's clear that demand is surging and people are flocking to spiritual destinations like never before.
What is driving this demand?
👉 Pilgrim destinations have been redeveloped with better infrastructure and transportation.
👉 Young travellers now prefer spiritual destinations as they seek inner peace and an escape from the hustle-bustle of their fast-paced life.
👉 Spiritual destinations are also coming up with exciting attractions like river rafting and hot air balloon rides.
Plus, the Union Tourism Ministry launched PRASAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive) in 2014-15 to boost spiritual tourism in India.
Players like EaseMyTrip also offer EasyDarshan, a dedicated platform to offer pilgrimage packages across India.
With increase in urbanization and rising disposable incomes, the entire $75Bn travel industry in India is set to boom.
Which spiritual destinations have you been to? And which one would you recommend our fellow ReadOnians to visit?
Let us know in the comments!
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