Spiritual Tourism in India

Spiritual Tourism in India

News: Recently, Union Minister Smt. Smriti Irani said that spiritual tourism has a high potential for tourist footfall and future investment in India.

What is Spiritual Tourism?
• Spiritual Tourism is a form of cultural tourism that focuses on satisfying our needs through cultural and spiritual elements. It involves traveling domestically or overseas to visit spiritual places such as mosques, churches, temples, and natural environments for spiritual reasons.
• Spiritual tourism can include practices like yoga, meditation, and wellness.

Prospects in India:
• India is considered the religious and spiritual capital of the world, where one can experience the richness of traditions and the beauty of their diversification.
• People come to India specifically to learn and experience yoga and Ayurveda for spirituality. More than 60 of tourism in India is associated with religious and spiritual tourism.
• India is home to numerous pilgrimage circuits that connect multiple religious sites within a region. Examples include the Char Dham Yatra in the Himalayas, the Golden Temple circuit in Punjab, and the Buddhist circuit in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
• A recent report by Ernst & Young (EY) has estimated that the number of international travelers to India for spiritual/religious pursuits will be 30.5 million by 2028.

Benefits of Spiritual Tourism:
• Promotes cultural interaction
• Economic growth and Employment opportunities
• It will contribute to the preservation of heritage
• Enhancing soft power
• Promotes spiritual and emotional well-being

Challenges:
• Many religious sites lack adequate infrastructure such as transportation, accommodation, and sanitation facilities, hindering the tourist experience
• Limited Community Participation: There may be limited involvement of the local community in the management and benefits of spiritual tourism.
• Cultural Degradation: Increased tourism can sometimes lead to the degradation of local cultures and traditions.
• Challenge of carrying capacity: Certain religious centers experience short but intense tourist seasons, leading to overcrowding and straining local infrastructure.
• The Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand causes pressure on transport infrastructure and leads to safety hazards like landslides during the monsoon season. Many people perceive religious tourism as solely for believers, overlooking its appeal to those interested in cultural and historical exploration.

Government of India’s initiatives:
• Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual and Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD Scheme): Launched in 2014-15, this scheme focuses on developing and identifying pilgrimage sites across India and promoting sustainable pilgrimage tourism.
o Under the scheme religious cities/sites in different States are identified like Kedarnath (Uttarakhand), Dwaraka (Gujarat), Amritsar (Punjab), Kamakhya (Assam), Varanasi and Mathura (Uttar Pradesh) etc.
• Swadesh Darshan Scheme: This scheme, launched in 2014-15, aims at the integrated development of theme-based tourist circuits in the country. It follows community-based development and promotion of cultural and heritage value of India.
o Under the scheme thematic circuits are identified including Buddhist Circuit, Krishna Circuit, Ramayana Circuit, Spiritual Circuit, Sufi Circuit, Tirthankar Circuit.
• Adopt a Heritage Scheme: This scheme aims to involve public sector companies, private sector companies and corporate citizens/individuals to take up the responsibility for making our heritage and tourism more sustainable through development, operation and maintenance of world-class tourist infrastructure amenities.
• Spiritual projects across India such as the Kashi Corridor, the Mahakal Corridor and the Ram Temple in Ayodhya are attracting a high volume of tourists and have been helping boost the local economy.