Ayodhya and other holy towns drawing major shopping chains

Retail brands are increasing their footprint in places like Ayodhya, Varanasi, Amritsar, Puri, Tirupati, and Ajmer as a result of the growth of spiritual tourism. They are also providing pilgrims with items that meet their demands, according to CBRE. In a research titled “Decoding Real Estate through the Spiritual Tourism Lens,” published on Thursday by real estate consultancy CBRE, it was noted that retail chains are profiting from the rise in spiritual tourism in 14 major Indian cities.

According to the research, the major towns experiencing this retail boom include Madurai, Ajmer, Varanasi, Katra, Somnath, Shirdi, Ayodhya, Puri, Tirupati, Mathura, Dwarka, Bodh Gaya, Guruvayur, and Madurai. In order to accommodate the increasing number of tourists, the consultant observed that retail companies are deliberately changing their products in both high-street locations and established mall clusters. The study said that the following retail outlets have opened in Ayodhya: Manyavar, Reliance Trends, Raymonds, Market99, Pantaloons, Domino’s, Pizza Hut, and Reliance Smart.

Varanasi is home to many companies, including Manyavar, Reliance Trends, Zudio, Pantaloons, Shoppers Stop, Burger King, Domino’s, Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, Spencer’s, Reliance smart, Croma, and Reliance Digital. According to Anshuman Magazine’s Chairman & CEO, CBRE for India, South-East Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, “India’s faith-based tourism market is growing rapidly due to the country’s rapid expansion of spiritual tourism.”