Spiritual tourism takes centre-stage in India

Tourism

December 23, 2024

/ By and / New Delhi

Spiritual tourism takes centre-stage in India

According to a report by KPMG, spiritual tourism now accounts for over 60 pc of domestic travel in India (Photo: Media India Group)

Though it has always been a significant component of tourism in India, spiritual tourism has never been as aggressively promoted by state tourism boards across India as has been the case in the post- pandemic revival of tourism. Driven in part by a jump in demand, especially after the Covid-19 outbreak, but also by significant enhancement of connectivity and infrastructure, spiritual tourism is set to dominate the tourism industry in India for years to come.

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For centuries, Indian spirituality has evoked a lot of interest from all over the world and even at home in India, heading for a spiritual tour or pilgrimage has been the cherished ideal for most Indians, irrespective of their faith. And hence many parts of the country have depended on their holy sites to attract visitors, Indians and foreigners.

Be it the Char Dham, a circuit of four holy sites in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, Varanasi or Kashi, along the River Ganga in Uttar Pradesh, the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Ajmer Sharief in Rajasthan or Jaggannath Puri in Odisha, millions of believers and visitors have thronged to these and countless other spots all over the country in search of peace and as part of their religious beliefs.

In the post-pandemic era, when travel was opened after the Covid-19 began to ease, spiritual tourism experienced an unprecedented growth, with multiple religious sites reporting a multi-fold increase in the daily footfall of visitors or pilgrims. And the growth does not seem to be easing.

At least 100,000 people visit the Golden Temple in Amritsar daily

At least 100,000 people visit the Golden Temple in Amritsar daily (Photo: MIG)

For instance, the Vaishno Devi Temple in Jammu receives 32,000 to 40,000 pilgrims each day, up from 10,000 to 15,000 during the same period prior to the pandemic. Meanwhile, at least 100,000 people visit the Golden Temple in Amritsar daily, higher than in the pre-pandemic period. Similarly, Varanasi, which had always been a prominent spiritual centre for Hinduism, too has seen an unprecedented jump in its visitor numbers. In 2019, the city had nearly 6.8 million tourists. By 2022, this number skyrocketed to almost 72 million, a growth of over 10 times in under three years.

The central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, too, has been rising rapidly as a spiritual tourism destination. Madhya Pradesh is home to two Jyotirlingas, spiritual representation of Hindu God Shiva. Both these sites, Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga at Omkareshwar and Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga at Ujjain, draw millions of pilgrims annually. Similarly, the Mahakal Lok Temple Corridor, a 900-metre-long corridor adorned with 108 intricately carved pillars, is attracting a significant number of visitors.

“In 2023, Madhya Pradesh witnessed a significant surge in tourism, receiving a staggering 112.1 million visitors, a substantial increase from the 34.1 million visitors in 2022. Ujjain, renowned as one of India’s holiest cities, emerged as the top tourist destination in the state, attracting over 52.8 million pilgrims and tourists. The growing appeal of spiritual tourism was evident, with five out of the top 10 most visited destinations being religious sites such as Ujjain, Maihar, Chitrakoot, Omkareshwar and Salkanpur,’’ Sheo Shekhar Shukla, Managing Director, Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board, tells India & You.

According to a report by KPMG, a consultancy firm, spiritual tourism now accounts for over 60 pc of domestic travel in India. A total of 1,433 million domestic tourists visited Indian pilgrimages in 2022, while 6.64 million foreign visitors arrived.

Infrastructure development boosts travel

The boom in spiritual tourism is not only due to an increased urge to turn towards the Lord, in fact, in part this growth has come due to a significant improvement in connectivity of the key pilgrimage sites as well as boost in logistical infrastructure like hotels and associated activities to make it easier for visitors to stay comfortably and stay longer. A number of leading hotel brands, for instance, have begun opening properties all around these key sites and extending even to Tier II and Tier III cities which were never really their focus.

But as in other parts of the Indian economy, an overwhelming share of the investment has been made by the government, in building roads, airports and other facilities to promote spiritual tourism.

“Improving infrastructure has been a key focus for UP’s tourism strategy. Shri Ram International Airport in Ayodhya aims to provide direct international access to tourists visiting the Ram Mandir, a significant pilgrimage site. In addition, the introduction of high- speed trains like the Vande Bharat Express has made it easier for tourists to travel between major hubs such as Varanasi and New Delhi,” Mukesh Kumar Meshram, Principal Secretary & Director General Tourism, tells India & You.

From projects like Kashi Corridor in Varanasi and the Char Dham circuit in Uttarakhand to Mahakaleshwar Lok Corridor in Madhya Pradesh and many others in the country, the governments, both federal and states, have been allocating significant part of their budgets for development of the spiritual tourism sites, results of which can be seen now.

The boom in spiritual tourism has brought along a high degree of commercialisation of the segment

Boom in spiritual tourism has brought a high degree of commercialisation (Photo: MIG)

According to a report by real estate firm Colliers, thanks to the focus by the government on spiritual tourism, the segment is set for a prolonged period of rapid growth. “Given the latent potential, the segment’s market size grew from USD 44 billion in 2020 to about USD 60 billion in 2023 and the segment is expected to grow 9-10 pc annually to reach USD 130 billion by 2032,’’ says Colliers.

Another report, by brokerage firm Jeffries, says that Ayodhya, the hottest new spiritual destination in India thanks to the Ram Temple, is looking at an annual footfall of 23 million and that it could attract over 50 million tourists annually.

Busy schedule for spirituality in 2025

While the year 2024 itself has been stellar in terms of spiritual tourism in the country, steered by the opening of the temple at Ayodhya, the coming year promises to bring an even bigger boost to the numbers as a large number of ‘mega’ events are lined up, almost right from the advent of the new year.

The biggest spiritual event of 2025 is the Maha Kumbh Mela that is held every 12 years at the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna Rivers at Allahabad, also known as Prayagraj, which begins in mid-January. The Kumbh Mela is recorded as the largest gathering of humanity in the world as over 300 million persons gather on the banks of the rivers and offer their prayers or participate in other activities organised on the occasion. The next edition of the fair is expected to draw over 400 million visitors in under 60 days.

Beyond the northern belt, many southern Indian states also have ambitious plans for the next year. Karnataka is aggressively promoting its own festivals, notably the Mysuru Dasara, a 10-day cultural extravaganza that occurs every October and which sees millions of visitors, both Indian and foreigners.

“Karnataka’s 2025 festival calendar is brimming with vibrant celebrations that capture the essence of the state’s cultural heritage. From the grandeur of Mysore Dasara to the festive New Year beginnings of Ugadi, Karnataka presents a rich tapestry of ancient traditions alongside contemporary festivities,” Salma Fahim, Secretary Tourism, Government of Karnataka, tells India & You.

Balanced growth needed

While boom in spiritual tourism has obviously benefitted millions of people who depend on this segment as their primary source of livelihood, the unprecedented growth has brought along a series of challenges, notably in terms of mass tourism and poorly planned and rushed implementation of infrastructure development which in turn have begun to gravely impact the enviroment around many pilgrimage sites, especially those located in ecologically sensitive areas such as the Char Dham in Uttarakhand or Varanasi and many other such sites.

The last few years have seen a sharp rise in landslides and flash floods in the Himalayas, which ecologists have blamed in part on building of roads and tunnels without taking into account the local geological and other environmental aspects into account. Similarly, rivers and lakes have been facing a severe strain of pollution due to the millions of people thronging, bathing and even putting their offerings in these water bodies.

There is no doubt that spiritual tourism will continue to expand rapidly and increasingly attract visitors from all over the world

There is no doubt that spiritual tourism will continue to expand rapidly and increasingly attract visitors from all over the world (Photo: MIG)

In its report, KPMG also warns against the negative impact of overtourism. “Local infrastructure, including roads, public transport, and sanitation services, are overwhelmed by the demands of excessive pilgrims and tourist numbers, leading to deterioration in quality of life for residents and potentially deterring pilgrimage activities,’’ says KPMG.

“The natural surroundings of many religious sites can suffer under the strain of over-tourism, with issues such as littering, pollution, and habitat disruption becoming prevalent. This degradation not only affects the ecological balance but also the aesthetic and spiritual ambiance of the site,’’ it adds.

Moreover, the boom in spiritual tourism has also brought along a high degree of commercialisation of the segment, says the consultancy. “The essence and authenticity of religious practices and ceremonies can be diluted by the commercialisation that often accompanies over-tourism. Sacred rituals may become performances for tourists, diminishing their spiritual significance,’’ it says.

There is no doubt that spiritual tourism will continue to expand rapidly and increasingly attract visitors from all over the world. But, in view of these real and often existential threats, the government as well as all other stakeholders in tourism, ought to initiate measures to caliberate the growth and make the investments needed to protect the sites which are being overwhelmed by overtourism.

In the Indian philosophy, spirituality and meditation go hand in hand. Having aggressively promoted spiritual tourism, it may be time to meditate on the best way ahead to ensure a sustainable and durable growth in the sector, to ensure that the boom does not turn to bust.

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