Religious Tourism

As per the plan, the funds approved by the finance department would be used on renovation and beautification work at various religious sites

SOTC Travel is targeting double-digit growth for the current financial year ending March, with a strong focus on expansion across regional India, the company's Managing Director & CEO Vishal Suri said. In an interview to PTI, he shared the company's vision for expansion and travel trends, including a strong rise in pilgrimage tourism with the onset of the Shravan season, particularly for the 12 Jyotirlingas. "We are targeting healthy double-digit growth for FY25-26. Regional India is a key focus area for us. We are not only widening our reach across the country but also deepening our presence in existing markets, based on the need and potential we see," Suri told PTI. He observed that the company's expansion strategy is both broad and focused, enabling it to tap into emerging travel demand across demographics and geographies. "We are committed to strengthening our omnichannel strategy with focused expansion across both digital and physical touchpoints. We're actively investing in .

The Goa government is planning to provide a spiritual experience to visitors, away from the beaches, by promoting a pilgrimage circuit comprising 11 iconic temples in the state, officials said on Tuesday. These temples will be the highlight of the Goa Tourism's 'Ekadasha Teertha Yatra' campaign, they said. A meeting was held on Monday with representatives of all the 11 temples to discuss promotion of the pilgrimage circuit and resolve any coordination-related issues, Goa Tourism Director Kedar Naik told PTI. The 'Ekadasha Teertha Yatra' will cover the 11 temples representing Goa's rich spiritual legacy. These include Sri Manguesh Temple in Mangeshi (North Goa), Sri Mahalasa Narayani Temple in Mardol (North Goa), Mahadev Temple in Tambdi Surla (South Goa) and Sri Shantadurga Temple in Fatorpa (South Goa). As part of the pilgrimage circuit, tourists will be taken around four temples in a day, covering the entire journey in two-three days, Naik said. The visitors will also be taken

The minister felicitated the yatris on their selection and wished them a safe and fulfilling yatra

Religious and spiritual tourism has been the fastest growing segment for us across the portfolio, says Jatin Khanna

The 45-day Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj boosted Uttar Pradesh's economy with ₹500 crore in extra GST and VAT collections, record fuel sales, and a surge in tourism-related sectors across key cities

This comes in the backdrop of an estimated congregation of 660 million tourists and pilgrims during the 45-day Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj from January 13 to February 26

According to Rajasthan government data, the tourism industry has a share of 7.45 per cent in the gross value added (GVA) of the state, and a share of over 11.35 per cent in overall employment

According to the recent Ministry of Tourism data, religious tourism witnessed 1,439 million tourists in 2022, generating ₹1.34 trillion in revenue

Rather than routine getaways, Indians are packing their bags for spirituality, festivals, concerts, wellness - and sleep

Bid to boost religious and spiritual tourism for $trillion economy target

Facing netizens' outrage over its newspaper advertisement, travel tech unicorn OYO on Friday clarified that the ad was meant to promote religious tourism in India and not hurt any religious sentiments. Several users took to social media platform X to raise objections to the phrase 'God is Everywhere. And so is OYO' in the advertisement about company-serviced stays in spiritual destinations including Ajmer, Ayodhya, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Mathura, Amritsar, Shirdi, Ujjain, among others. "Our intention behind the recent advertisement was to promote religious tourism in India, and not hurt any religious sentiments," OYO stated. "We have immense respect for the diverse faiths and beliefs of our country and celebrate India's rich spiritual traditions," it added. The company further explained that as more Indians embrace spiritual tourism, it is dedicated to enhancing this sacred experience - "and that is what we wanted to highlight through the advertisement". OYO has announced plans to a

Through history, the Mela has held different meanings for ascetics, the colonised, colonisers, and tourists-but all have been moved by its grandeur

Religious tourism accounts for over 60 per cent of domestic travel in India, according to a report by KPMG

Travel tech unicorn OYO on Wednesday said it is planning to add 500 hotels in religious hubs, including Ayodhya, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Puri, Haridwar, Mathura, Vrindavan, Amritsar, Ujjain, Ajmer, Nasik, and Tirupati, this year. The announcement comes at a time when religious tourism in the country is booming and the government has launched several initiatives that aim to improve infrastructure at tourist sites and develop tourist attractions, including the PRASHAD scheme, the Ramayana Circuit, and the Swadesh Darshan Scheme. In a statement, OYO said it will add over 150 hotels in Ayodhya, 100 in Varanasi and 50 each in Prayagraj, Haridwar, and Puri. Ayodhya also topped the list of most-searched religious destination for new year holidays, emerging as a major spiritual tourism destination. "This move comes in response to the surging demand for quality accommodation following the inauguration of the Ram temple last year. Ayodhya has also gained significant traction as the most-searche

Puri, Varanasi and Haridwar are the most travelled spiritual destinations while Hyderabad is India's top-booked city this year, according to OYO's 'Travelopedia 2024' annual report unveiled on Tuesday. The report delves into travel patterns and trends, with its findings based on the booking data of the travel tech major for the entire year. "In India, religious tourism continued to be a key focus, with Puri, Varanasi, and Haridwar dominating the pilgrimage sector. However, a significant trend emerged with Deoghar, Palani, and Govardhan experiencing substantial growth, indicating a shift towards less explored spiritual destinations..."OYO stated. Following Hyderabad, cities like Bengaluru, Delhi, and Kolkata rounded out the top spots for bookings, with Uttar Pradesh maintaining its position as the most popular state for travel. High volume of bookings were reported from Maharashtra, Telangana, and Karnataka, which continue to be dominant travel contributors. Smaller towns like Patna

The portals of the Badrinath Dham in Uttarakhand will be closed for the winter season at 9.07 pm on November 17, the temple committee said on Saturday. As per tradition, the "mahurat" of the closing date and time was decided on the occasion of Vijayadashami on Saturday after an assessment of the Hindu calendar and the position of the celestial bodies, Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee Chairman Ajendra Ajay said. More than 11 lakh pilgrims visited Badrinath this year while Kedarnath witnessed a footfall of over 13.5 lakh devotees. As per an earlier announcement, Kedarnath and Yamunotri will be closed on November 3 and Gangotri on November 2. Similarly, the doors of Rudranath will be closed on October 17, Tungnath on November 4 and Madhyamaheshwar on November 20. The temples in Uttarakhand which draw lakhs of devotees each year from across the country and abroad are closed during winter as they remain covered in snow.

Uttarakhand Finance Minister Prem Chand Agarwal on Monday said the GST Council has decided to cut tax on helicopter services for religious travels to 5 per cent. The 54th meeting of the GST Council, chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, is currently underway. "Helicopter services for religious purposes like Kedarnath, Badrinath has been reduced to 5 per cent from 18 per cent. There was no clarity on this. After this, there will be clarity," Agarwal told reporters. The Council is slated to deliberate on a host of issues, including lowering of taxes on life and health insurance premiums, as well as levy of GST on payment aggregators for small digital transactions up to Rs 2,000, via debit and credit cards. Agarwal further said the Council has referred the issues of levy of 18 per cent GST on payment aggregators (PAs), like BillDesk and CCAvenue, for small digital transactions up to Rs 2,000, via debit and credit cards to the fitment committee. Currently, payment ...

The Uttar Pradesh government is set to expand electricity-based adventure water activities and boat ride facilities in Ayodhya and Varanasi to boost religious tourism. The government is on the verge of starting the operation of four specialised electric boats in both cities, according to an official statement. "Under the scheme, one air-conditioned electric boat with a 50-seat capacity and two electric boats with 30-seat capacities each will be operated from Nayaghat on the Saryu River in Ayodhya," it said. "In Varanasi, a 50-seater air-conditioned electric boat will soon be available for tourists at Ravidas Ghat on the Ganga River," it added. The state-of-the-art AC boats will have a steel catamaran hull, while the non-air-conditioned ones will feature an FRP catamaran hull, the government said. The ghats will have the facilities for the docking and charging of these boats, which will be managed by the Uttar Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation. The boats will initially

The decision comes months after the demise of Sahara India's Subrata Roy, who was the principal shareholder and investor in the firm