India Is Gripped by a Spiritual Tourism Boom as Faith Becomes Fashionable

India’s spiritual tourism market is expected to be worth about $59 billion by 2028 and employ 100 million people, according to a trust that promotes Brand India. Some 110 million people visited Varanasi last year, a 1,500% increase from 2019, putting the city squarely in the center of the nation’s religious travel boom.

That increase is being driven by a confluence of factors, including the growth of an affluent class that has money to spend on travel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s push to turn India into a more overtly Hindu society, and a social media explosion that’s helped make Hinduism fashionable for younger Indians.

Influencers and celebrities sharing such experiences further popularize Hinduism. At this year’s Maha Kumbh Mela, a gigantic, six-week Hindu pilgrimage held every 12 years, political leaders, Bollywood actors and pop stars were among more than 400 million devotees who ritually bathed at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers in the northern city of Prayagraj. Asia’s richest man Mukesh Ambani, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar were among the attendees.

Meera Nanda, author of The God Market: How Globalization is Making India More Hindu, says being religious has become a “trend.” “Pilgrimage meant a search for certain salvation,” she said. “Now it is more like combining adventure tourism with religiosity.”

India’s population is roughly 80% Hindu and about 14% Muslim, with Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains accounting for the remainder. While the nation was founded as a secular state, Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has sought to elevate Hinduism since it came to power in 2014. Hindu nationalism has been a pillar for Modi’s popularity with voters, but critics say it has eroded religious tolerance and marginalized Muslims in particular. The government has denied having prejudice against India’s 200 million Muslims.

The government has spent hundreds of millions of dollars developing pilgrimage sites over the past decade, with improved transportation, parking and the rollout of technology — including virtual reality headsets — at some temples.

The investment is not all focused on locations sacred to Hindus. The government has helped promote and develop sites associated with the Buddha — including Bodh Gaya in the northeastern state of Bihar, where he’s believed to have attained enlightenment — in the hope of attracting tourists from Japan, China, South Korea and Southeast Asia. It has also invested in Amritsar, which houses the Golden Temple that is sacred to Sikhs, and Ajmer, where a centuries-old Islamic shrine stands.

Thomas Cook India Ltd., one of the largest travel agencies in the country, has seen rising interest in religious tourism since 2019. Customers often expect private darshan services that allow them to bypass queues, four-star accommodations (at least) and convenient transport including helicopters.  With one in four Indians traveling last year for religious reasons and future growth expected, hotels and airlines are planning for the future.

Tourism directly contributed $231 billion to India’s economy in 2023 and the industry is expected to grow 12% to 15% annually over the next five years, according to EY. In a March report on emerging travel trends, the consulting giant said beaches, mountains and religious sites were popular among domestic tourists in India, and noted a growing interest in cruises and wildlife.

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