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Religious tourism is booming in India, and hospitality companies are catching up to meet this demand.
— Bulbul Dhawan
Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) has announced the signing of its fourth hotel in Varanasi, the 101-key Ginger Hotel. Today, he has two Taj hotels and one Selection Hotel (as part of the Tree of Life transformation) in Varanasi, a city with deep cultural and religious significance.
On Thursday, IHCL also announced an agreement with the reimagined Gateway brand in Sarnath to further strengthen the hotel company’s spiritual tourism circuit.
With these two additions, IHCL now has 24 properties in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, of which 11 are under development.
Uttar Pradesh, once popular for being home to the Taj Mahal in Agra, is now trying to establish itself as a hub for religious tourism through cities like Prayagraj, Kashi, Ayodhya, Varanasi and Sarnath.
The Uttar Pradesh government has launched around 500 projects, investing more than 850 billion rupees ($10.2 billion), to develop religious and spiritual tourist attractions.
Impact of religious tourism
Uttar Pradesh’s tourism industry has been undergoing a transformation since the opening of the Kashi-Vishwanath corridor in Varanasi in December 2021, said Preeti Srivastava, deputy director of the state’s tourism department.
“Subsequently, a total of over 130 million tourists visited the pilgrim city in 2022 and 2023. The success of this project has been replicated in other parts of the country, including Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh. Ta.”
She added that the tourism prospects of Uttar Pradesh will further strengthen as Ayodhya is now being developed as a religious destination and Mathura is next.
While noting trends for Holi and Easter holidays in March, Booking.com also noted that spiritual destinations are among the most searched for.
In January, the controversial public opening of Ayodhya’s Hindu temple attracted 500,000 visitors on its first day.
On December 31, Oyo Group CEO Ritesh Agarwal tweeted, “Over 80% of users are searching for stays in Ayodhya today!” One of the highest spikes can be seen. ”
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Hills and beaches!
Over 80% of users are currently searching for stays in Ayodhya. Confirmed his one of the highest spikes 👀 #Checkin2024
— Ritesh Agarwal (@riteshagar) December 31, 2023
“If destinations like Varanasi, Ayodhya and Mathura are developed, the tourist visit will spill over to other regions. prefers to group more cities in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow has a lot of tourists who can explore the Mughal heritage. Then they go to Ayodhya, Prayagraj and Varanasi,” she said. He added that guests will also visit smaller destinations along the way.
Entry of hospitality brands
With annual tourist arrivals expected to reach 850 million by 2028, the state aims to build a strong hotel supply chain that will pave the way for the entry of major hospitality brands.
The company is therefore considering investments in the hospitality sector to the tune of 320 billion rupees ($3.8 billion) to meet the expected increase in demand. It focuses on tourist spots like Varanasi, Ayodhya, Prayagraj, and Agra.
Last year, Japanese hotel chain Hotel Management International (HMI) signed a deal to develop 30 new hotels in the state. These will be installed in Agra, Varanasi and Ayodhya.
Takamoto Yokoyama, Director of Public Relations at HMI, said, “Uttar Pradesh’s efforts to realize and develop its tourism potential have created immense potential for the hotel industry.” Varanasi has seen a significant increase in tourists after the development of the Kashi-Vishwanath corridor. For us, this is a big opportunity. ”
Some of the recent major developments in spiritual destinations in Uttar Pradesh include:
Wyndham Hotels and Resorts opened Ramada Plaza in Varanasi last year ITC Hotels signs boutique hotel Stree Prayagraj in May 2023 IHCL and Radisson Hotels Group to open five-star hotel in Prayagraj Expression of interest Hilton to open DoubleTree by Hilton in Varanasi in September 2023
Ayodhya effect
The boom is currently being driven by hotel developments in Ayodhya, which were recently renovated in preparation for the consecration of the Ram temple in January.
According to a report from brokerage firm Jefferies, the town could attract more than 50 million tourists a year.
In January, Radisson opened Park Inn by Radisson in the city. Elie Younes, executive vice president of Radisson Hotel Group, said in an interview with Skift that India’s religious cities are the focus. Another Radisson hotel is being built in Ayodhya, and another Radisson hotel is being developed in Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh.
Last year, IHCL signed deals with two hotels in Ayodhya under the Ginger and Vivanta brands. The company has signed its third hotel under the IHCL SeleQtions brand and is planning a fourth hotel under the Taj brand in the destination this year.
Apart from this:
Photo credit: Sacred Ghats of Varanasi.
