Indian travellers are emerging as Asia’s most
spiritually motivated tourists, with 19% planning faith-based trips in 2026—the highest in the region,
according to digital travel platform Agoda.
India ranks ahead of Indonesia and Malaysia, with Japan and
Thailand completing the top five, highlighting the strong influence of faith and tradition on travel decisions.
The trend is reflected in search data, with Maha Kumbh Mela driving a 233% surge in accommodation
searches for Prayagraj in 2025. Similarly, festival-driven travel during Holi saw sharp spikes in interest for
spiritual destinations such as Pushkar (+195%), Vrindavan (+126%), and Mathura (+109%).
Agoda noted that spiritual travel continues to shape domestic tourism, blending pilgrimage with
cultural exploration. The platform also highlighted growing opportunities for destinations to enhance
digital accessibility, including real-time information, booking systems, and visitor services
to better cater to both domestic and international travellers.
