The consecration ceremony of the Ram temple on Monday has put the traditional metropolis of Ayodhya within the highlight as the following massive non secular tourism hotspot. Being dwelling to numerous cultures and religions, India has all the time been massive on non secular tourism. Take into consideration the favored temple ghats in Varanasi to the tomb of Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti at Ajmer Sharif and the Golden temple in Punjab.
Spiritual tourism is estimated to be the most important section inside India’s tourism umbrella, and in response to SOTC Journey, a tourism agency, has clocked a close to 40% on-year progress final yr. Sensing progress potential, the federal government has additionally launched initiatives to enhance last-mile infrastructure at outstanding pilgrimage and heritage locations.
Spiritual India
Most Indians consider in God’s existence, exhibits a 2021 survey by US-based Pew Analysis Middle. It’s widespread to commit time and vitality to non secular practices. City Indians are extra non secular: those who interact in non secular practices spend about 67 minutes a day on them, in comparison with 61 minutes in rural India, exhibits knowledge from the federal government’s Time Use Survey. The Tirupati temple, one of many few websites to launch common knowledge on footfalls, has already had over 1.3 million guests for the reason that begin of this yr.
Flying to wish
Whereas knowledge for precise footfalls just isn’t simply out there, the tourism increase is probably going evident from passenger counts at comparatively smaller airports that largely cater to pilgrimage spots. Footfalls at airports in Shirdi, Gaya, Aurangabad, Amritsar and different locations with non secular pursuits have sharply risen previously 5 years, sooner than the pan-India air passenger progress. The curiosity and demand round non secular tourism is also seen from the current runaway rise in air fares to Ayodhya forward of the consecration.
State push
Proper in its first yr in energy, the Narendra Modi authorities launched the Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Religious Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) to develop tourism round chosen non secular websites by way of monetary assist to states. A complete of 73 locations—some little-known, and almost a 3rd of them within the north-east—have been recognized, and funds of ₹1,629 crore have been sanctioned for 46 tasks.
Eighteen of the accepted tasks alone are anticipated to generate 2.5 million jobs, the federal government estimates. The scheme was renamed PRASHAD after being merged with an analogous scheme for heritage websites in 2017 (the ‘H’ stands for ‘heritage’).
Ripe for enterprise
The rising non secular fervour might spell a chance for companies to faucet into newer markets. Sectors that might profit from an increase in non secular tourism embody hospitality, fast-moving shopper items, quick-service restaurant chains and infrastructure-related ones. How will India’s tourism increase form up? Solely God (and the myriad devotees) can inform!
Supply: Live Mint