The boom in retail in India has also had an impact on significant religious infrastructure. While visitors to Shirdi can now purchase FabIndia Kurtas, there is a Spykar store in Somnath. There are Zudio and Blackberry stores in Varanasi and Bodh Gaya, respectively.
Fast-food restaurants such as Domino’s, KFC, and Burger King have not lagged, establishing their presence in remote religious locations such as Puri, Katra, Ajmer, and beyond.
Though the growth of Ayodhya’s retail and hospitality sectors has drawn attention, the nation’s retail chains have grown gradually but steadily.
This pattern suggests that tourists’ tastes are shifting as more and more visitors look for life-changing experiences outside of customary activities. According to a report by real estate consulting firm CBRE, the growth of urban spiritual tourism is satisfying this demand by drawing tourism to locations recognized for their profound religious and spiritual significance.
According to the report, the major cities experiencing this retail boom are Madurai, Ajmer, Varanasi, Katra, Somnath, Shirdi, Ayodhya, Puri, Tirupati, Mathura, Dwarka, Bodh Gaya, Guruvayur, and Madurai.
The products retail brands offer are changing for high-street locations and small clusters. Businesses and local governments are collaborating to develop distinctive retail experiences. This involves incorporating regional customs into the layout and amenities of stores, eateries, and lodging facilities,” claims CBRE.
To offer visitors a taste of a city beyond spirituality, cities like Amritsar, Varanasi, Madurai, Puri, Guruvayur, and others use their distinctive culinary traditions and Local fashion expertise.
Infrastructure upgrades enable peaks in spiritual tourism.
According to a report by Jefferies, despite the current infrastructure bottlenecks, the most visited religious sites in India welcome 10-30 million tourists each year. Such cities are now undergoing an infrastructural upgrade– which will bolster their growth.
The state and federal governments are constructing airports, public transportation systems, and well-connected roads. It supports the development of lodging establishments such as hotels, guesthouses, and wellness centers to ensure that travelers have a comfortable stay.
“India’s faith-based economy is expanding rapidly due to the country’s growing spiritual tourism industry. Government programs to enhance connectivity between pilgrimage sites and to boost tourism are speeding up this growth even more. Another important factor is the growth of online retail platforms that make it simple to obtain faith-based goods and services, according to Anshuman Magazine, chairman and CEO of CBRE’s operations in India, South-East Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.
While Jefferies anticipates 50 million visitors per year on average to Ayodhya, other pilgrimage sites are also expanding quickly. “India offers a vast array of tourism experiences, such as beaches, hill stations, cultural & heritage sites, historic monuments, and more. The largest category of tourism in India is still religious travel, the report continues.
High-end hospitality brands are also entering these cities, in addition to retail chains. Other chain brands that are opening boutique and experience hotels in these cities include Taj, ITC, Lemon Tree, Novotel, JW Mariott, and Mayfair.
“Big hotel chains are adjusting to the changing needs of spiritual travelers by providing pristine, sanitary, and kid-friendly lodging at premium rates. According to CBRE, “Branded hotels are starting to emerge as major players, providing a fusion of comfort and traditional hospitality catered for spiritual seekers.”