Spiritual-Travel Destinations in India: The variety of tourist locations in India extends far beyond the beaches, hills, and cities. India has always been a preferred choice for cultural tourism on a global scale, as one of the world’s oldest civilizations with an all-encompassing convergence of spirituality, legacy, and traditions. Cultural travel has seen its highest rise in the last two years, as the pandemic has encouraged Indians to explore domestic locations.
Tracking consumer travel sentiment across India, OYO has shared the ‘India’s Treasure Trove of Cultural Travel 2022’ report with India.com.Also Read – Kheer Bhawani Mela: Kashmiri Pandits Flock To Kheer Bhawani Temple In Tulmulla, Pay Obeisance
As per the report, with over 3.5 times growth over the past year, Srinagar clocked the highest growth in bookings among cultural destinations in 2022. Also Read – Nishat Garden in Kashmir is Called ‘Garden of Bliss’ – Here’s Why Nature Lovers Should Bookmark This For Summers
Top 5 cultural destinations in India: (January to April 2022)
- Srinagar
- Pahalgam
- Bodhgaya
- Shirdi
- Jammu
India is known for its spirituality around the world. Varanasi, seen by many as the spiritual hub, tops the charts as the most popular pilgrimage destination in India in 2022. Also Read – This Kolkata to Varanasi Road Trip Takes You Through 3 States. Are You Ready?
Popular pilgrimage destinations in India:
- Varanasi
- Tirupati
- Puri
- Amritsar
- Shirdi
As per the report, when it comes to heritage sites, with 25% votes each, Ajanta & Ellora caves in Aurangabad and Taj Mahal in Agra tied for the top spot.
Top 5 heritage sites in India:
- Ajanta & Ellora caves
- Taj Mahal
- Hampi
- Khajurao
- Mahabalipuram
Commenting on the rise in cultural tourism, Shreerang Godbole, SVP – Product & Chief Service Officer – OYO told India.com, “Cultural tourism has always been a huge contributor to India’s tourism economy. With an increase in domestic travel across India, people are looking forward to exploring rich cultural destinations over the past few years. We’re seeing many more young people opting for hidden gems, historical destinations, holy sites, and spiritual or wellness destinations. Varanasi, Shirdi, Rajasthan, and Kerala have consistently shown up as top booked cities for this purpose, since 2021.”
He added, “As India’s appetite for cultural and spiritual travel strengthens, we continually support locally run hotels and homeowners to create self-employment opportunities while boosting the local economy. Like we did with our local homestays initiative in Kevadia and Pahalgam in J&K. We are also offering consumers flexible cancellation and modification of bookings, Pay at Hotel option to enable the higher influx of tourists across such prominent destinations.”
Interestingly, the survey highlights that approx. 7% tend to make a pit stop at a famous local pilgrimage site. This means that pilgrimage destinations have the potential to attract other destination-bound travellers, opening up vast opportunities for small local businesses. There’s a clear upswing in demand for spiritual destinations during festivals and long weekends, For instance, during the festive long weekend in April on account of Vishu & Baisakhi, a surge was felt in bookings for pilgrimage destinations such as Haridwar and Amritsar, among others.
Have a safe travel!
