Varanasi continues to underline the surge in spiritual travel, recording an astounding 11 crore visitors in 2024 alone. Religious tourism is no longer limited to traditional pilgrims—it is becoming a mainstream travel choice for younger generations, with Gen Z emerging as a key driver of growth.
At the 55th Annual Convention of the Federation of Hotels and Restaurants Association of India (FHRAI), Puducherry’s Tourism Minister, Sri K. Lakshminarayanan, highlighted that Puducherry has been ranked the world’s second-best destination in a recent global tourism report. The Union Territory welcomed nearly 19 lakh visitors in 2024, with tourism and hospitality contributing approximately ₹25,000 crore to its economy. He further emphasized the government’s ongoing infrastructure initiatives designed to strengthen Puducherry’s position as a high-potential tourism hub.
Dr. Rajendra, Director of Tourism, Government of Karnataka, shared that the state boasts more than 25,000 historical and heritage sites, including four UNESCO World Heritage Sites and 800 notified monuments. Karnataka’s new Tourism Policy, unveiled earlier this year, stresses strong public–private partnerships as a way to unlock the sector’s immense potential while boosting employment.
Adding perspective on the evolving profile of spiritual travel, Sri Ganesh Pai of ISKCON, Bengaluru South, observed that spiritual tourism has become increasingly inclusive. “Earlier, only the elderly travelled to religious destinations, but now travel portals show that nearly 80–90% of searches are for spiritual sites, largely from Gen Z. Alongside visiting places of religious interest, they are keen to add adventure to their itineraries,” he noted.
The conversation also spotlighted wellness and hospitality education as critical growth areas. Dr. Jazzy Nepram, Director of CHI The Spa and Health Club at Shangri-La, said that for the wellness sector to diversify, training and skilling talent is essential. She highlighted the value of collaboration with independent wellness professionals to elevate spa revenues and service quality.
Echoing the importance of future-ready talent, Dr. Bhupesh Kumar, Principal-cum-Secretary of the Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition, Ranchi, remarked that Gen Z will be the biggest driver of hospitality growth. He stressed the need for employers to polish and upskill their workforce to meet the expectations of this new generation of travelers and sustain sectoral growth.
