An increase in spiritual tourism has made Ayodhya and Ujjain popular vacation destinations in India
Travel to India is undergoing an interesting change. Spiritual tourism is on the rise, so prepare your belongings for a journey rather than a holiday! In the last two years, searches for religious locations have increased by a staggering 97%, according to a new MakeMyTrip survey.
In smaller towns and communities, there is an especially significant interest in spiritual travel. India’s Tier-2 and Tier-3 populations seem to be turning to pilgrimages as a means of self-discovery and comfort.
Ayodhya and Ujjain: Religious beacons
The paper identifies Ayodhya, Ujjain, and Badrinath as the three locations spearheading this spiritual upsurge.
The birthplace of Lord Rama, Ayodhya, has seen a remarkable 585% surge in searches. This historic city in Uttar Pradesh is a popular pilgrimage destination and a sacred place for Hindus.
A 359% increase in searches has been reported for Ujjain, a prominent pilgrimage site in Madhya Pradesh on the banks of the Shipra River. Known for housing the Simhastha Kumbh Mela, one of the four Hindu pilgrimage festivals, Ujjain is also home to the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga, one of the 12 revered Shiva Jyotirlingas in India.
Nestled in Uttarakhand’s Garhwal Himalayas, Badrinath has seen a 343% surge in searches. Part of the Char Dham pilgrimage circuit, this sacred village is renowned as the dwelling place of Lord Vishnu and draws pilgrims seeking enlightenment.
Increased international travel: The study also notes an increase in the number of trips made. Indians are traveling more often each year; from 2019 to 2020, the percentage of Indians taking more than three vacations increased by 25%. This renewed desire to travel seems to be focused on introspection, with spiritual locations taking center stage.
Searches for lesser-known foreign locations including Hong Kong, Almaty, Paro, Baku, Da Nang, and Tbilisi saw a notable spike in 2023. Travelers from India often traveled abroad to Dubai, Bangkok, and Singapore, with the most popular long-haul destinations being London, Toronto, and New York. One-third of all foreign reservations were made more than a month in advance, and almost half of all reservations were made at least two weeks before the departure date. Furthermore, almost one-third of hotel reservations made abroad were booked at least 30 days in advance of the intended departure date. Additionally, there was a 24% growth in the platform’s use of alternate lodgings in 2023.
Other travel trends: The travel industry saw several intriguing developments last year, such as a growth in the number of holidays taken, impulsive travel, family-friendly vacations, and a surge in the appeal of foreign places.
The number of family travelers who booked trips increased by 64% in the previous year, and over half of them were seeking for lodging that cost more than Rs 10,000 per night. In 2023, reservations for solo travel rose by 23% on an annual basis.
It was discovered that whereas males prefer aisle seats on airplanes, women often reserve window seats in advance. Additionally, the most popular in-flight food for domestic flights was found to be the Tomato Cucumber Cheese Lettuce Sandwich.
With 40% of all travel reservations made on the site using UPI, it became clear that this payment option was the most popular. Because of the advantages they provide, credit cards were the favored method of payment for high-value purchases like reserving hotels abroad.
Ultimately, it was found that 50% of all travel gift cards were given as presents for weddings, and the majority of these cards had amounts between Rs. 5,000 and Rs. 10,000.
