Looks like travellers are moving beyond mountain and beach vacations and choosing spiritual tourism instead. People are now visiting pilgrimage destinations not just for religious reasons but also to add meaning to their trips. Cleartrip has shared fresh data showing how spiritual tourism is driving strong growth. Read to know more!
Who Is Leading The Spiritual Tourism Trend?
According to Cleartrip’s PeekABoo Trends Tracker, spiritual travel is no longer limited to families or older people. Young travellers and solo women are also contributing to this growing trend. One of the biggest highlights of the year is the rising number of women travelling alone for pilgrimages. Flight bookings by solo female travellers during the ongoing Amarnath Yatra have increased by 20% compared to last year.
The Amarnath Yatra has led to a big rise in travel bookings this year. Hotel bookings have increased by 22%, while bus bookings have more than doubled with a 104% jump. Dwarka is also seeing more solo women travellers, with bookings rising by 37%.
Also Read: Akshardam Temple Visit To Workshop With Sadhguru, Inside Delhis Spiritual Tourism Circuit
Char Dham Yatra Attracts Large Number Of Visitors
The Char Dham Yatra is attracting a large number of pilgrims this year. Haridwar and Rishikesh, the main starting points for the yatra, have seen a big increase in bookings. Hotel bookings in Haridwar have gone up by 161%, while bus bookings have risen by 203%. In Rishikesh, bus bookings have increased by 113%. More people are also travelling by train.
Most of these bookings came from major cities, including Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Pune, Kolkata, Chennai, and Ahmedabad.
The other religious festivals are also attracting visitors. Puri, which hosts the famous Jagannath Rath Yatra and Bahuda Yatra, has recorded more than 200% growth in hotel bookings. Mathura has seen a 196% rise in hotel bookings during Guru Purnima and the Govardhan Parikrama. Also, Varanasi, which attracts thousands of devotees during the holy month of Sawan and the Kanwar Yatra, has registered 161% growth in hotel bookings.
Apart from seasonal festivals, destinations with year-round religious importance continue to attract travellers. Prayagraj, Ayodhya, Haridwar, Udupi, Thanjavur, Thrissur, Gokarna, and Tirupati have all reported triple-digit growth in hotel and bus bookings.
The report also shows that travellers are choosing affordable accommodation. Budget hotels recorded the highest growth at 386% year-on-year. The mid-range hotels saw bookings increase by 164%.
What are your thoughts on spiritual tourism? Tell us in the comments below!
Cover Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons/ Ashishyadav.photographs
FAQs
Where women are planning their solo trips?
Solo women travellers are increasingly choosing pilgrimage destinations, with places like Amarnath and Dwarka.
During Char Dham Yatra which cities witnessed growth in bookings?
During the Char Dham Yatra, Haridwar and Rishikesh witnessed strong growth in bookings.
Who is planning more pilgrimage trips?
Young travellers and solo women are planning more pilgrimage trips.
