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The concept of spiritual tourism in India is fast gaining popularity among the leisure buffs. In the latest survey, northern India has emerged as the most favoured spiritual travel destination followed by southern, western and eastern India. As per the consolidated reports, the top five cities for spiritual tourism in India include Varanasi, Tirupati, Puri, Amritsar and Haridwar.
According to the survey conducted by OYO Cultural Travel 2022 Roundup Report, Varanasi emerged as the most popular destination followed by other popular religious spots like – Prayagraj, Amritsar, Haridwar, Katra including Rishikesh.
In addition, Varanasi, grabbed the first slot in the top religious destination for bookers across India followed by Tirupati, Puri, Amritsar and Haridwar, the survey further revealed.
Meanwhile, cities such as Mysore, Tirupati, Madurai, Vijayawada and Vellore were most favored in south India. Similarly, in the western India, Shirdi witnessed maximum inflow of travelers followed by Mahabaleshwar, Nashik, Ujjain and Pushkar. In east India, Puri emerged as the most favoured destination.
While Varanasi appeared as the most popular destination, Shirdi, Rishikesh, Mathura, Mahabaleshwar and Madurai witnessed the maximum growth in bookings over the past year, the report suggested.
The survey report also revealed that spiritual travel is no longer restricted to a particular age group. According to Travel Style Network survey, an estimated 24 percent Indians took at least one vacation every month in the year 2022 alone, greater than the global average of 11 percent.
Five factors influencing Spiritual and Religious tourism in India:
1) Availability of hotels
2) Good connectivity by road, rail and airways to reach divine destinations
3) Schemes, offers provided by travel agencies during holiday seasons
4) Travellers eager to discover divine spots
5) Awareness