Pilgrimage tourism boom: MakeMy report shows 19% growth in FY24-25; surge in premium stays – The Times of India

MUMBAI: Group travel, short stays and last-minute bookings, these are the trends that define the popular religious tourism segment with pilgrimage travel emerging as one of the fast-growing segments of India’s travel and tourism industry. “Accommodation bookings across 56 pilgrimage destinations grew by 19% in FY24-25,” according to online travel company MakeMyTrip (MMT) which tracked for pilgrimage travel in 2024-2025. “The pilgrimage travel trends highlight broad-based momentum, with 34 destinations recording double-digit growth and 15 destinations growing by over 25%, underscoring how spiritual journeys are becoming a powerful driver of travel demand,” the MMT report said.The breadth of growth across pilgrimage destinations can be seen in centres such as Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh), Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh), Puri (Odisha), Amritsar (Punjab) and Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh), which continue to grow. At the same time, places like Khatushyam Ji (Rajasthan), Omkareshwar (Madhya Pradesh) and Thiruchendur (Tamil Nadu) are also registering strong momentum, reflecting the widening canvas of spiritual travel in the country.“The strong growth in pilgrimage demand is also driving an aggressive expansion of accommodation supply across key destinations. Travellers are largely opting for short, purpose-driven stays, with more than half choosing single-night trips. At the same time, premiumisation is gaining momentum, bookings for rooms priced above ₹7,000 grew by over 20%” it saidRajesh Magow, Co-Founder and Group CEO, MakeMyTrip, said, “Pilgrimage Travel has always been part of our culture, but what we see now is its scale and consistency across the country. We are seeing steady growth, fuelled by stronger connectivity and Indians across all age groups and income segments planning pilgrimage-led trips. This growing demand is broadening traveller expectations and prompting the industry to innovate in ways that better serve the unique needs of the pilgrim traveller.”

Nearly 2 in 3 pilgrimage bookings made within a week of travel:

The late booking trend is characteristic of Indian travellers, cutting across all segments of travel. Pilgrimage travel, much like leisure, continues to be booked very close to the date of travel, with more than 63% of bookings made within six days of departure.

Pilgrimage travel characterized by short, purpose-led stays:

Pilgrimage travel remains defined by short, purpose-driven stays. More than half of all travellers (53%) opt for single-night visits, compared to 45% in leisure travel. Two-night stays make up nearly one-third (31%) of trips, while three-night stays account for just 11%. Longer durations of four nights or more together contribute less than 5% of bookings, in contrast to leisure travel, which shows a more even spread across multiple nights.

Group travel distinctly stronger in pilgrimage:

Group bookings form a much larger share of pilgrimage travel, with 47% of trips made in groups compared to 38.9% in leisure destinations. This underlines the collective character of pilgrimage journeys, where families, friends, and community groups often travel together, further reinforcing pilgrimage as a deeply shared experience.

High-value bookings in pilgrimage cities outpace leisure destinations:

While most pilgrimage accommodation bookings (71%) are for rooms priced below ₹4,500 per night, premiumisation is gaining clear momentum. In FY24-25, bookings for rooms in the ₹7,000–10,000 range grew by 24%, while those above ₹10,000 grew by 23%. In parallel, alternate accommodation options such as homestays and apartments have also gained traction, contributing nearly 10% of room night bookings in pilgrimage destinations.

Pilgrimage Travel Spurs Wave of New Hotels and Homestays:

Over the past three years, pilgrimage destinations have seen a sharp rise in accommodation supply. More than a third of all hotel rooms available today at these locations were launched during the past three years, with even faster growth in homestays, apartments, and hostels. The expansion of homestays reflects both new additions and existing properties coming online as hosts tap into rising demand. Premium supply has also scaled rapidly, 63% of the premium accommodation available today were launched during the same period, reflecting how businesses are actively investing to capture the demand in premium segment.

Travellers increasingly combine pilgrimage with leisure experiences:

In FY 2024-25, over half (52%) of all holiday package bookings on MakeMyTrip were made by travellers seeking pilgrimage-led destinations only. At the same time, nearly 48% of bookings were from travellers who sought a combination of pilgrimage as well as leisure destinations within the same holiday package. Taken together, these trends point to a shift, with increasing number of travellers blending spiritual journeys and leisure pursuits to create a more wholesome experience.