Religious tourism to create 200,000 jobs in 4-5 years, says NLB Services

Religious tourism has been gaining momentum in India and is expected to grow annually at over 16 per cent between 2023 and 2030, Alug said.  ccording to him, the segment accounts for 60 per cent of domestic tourism.

"In the next 4-5 years, religious tourism is anticipated to create up to two lakh job opportunities. With a projected revenue of USD 60 billion by 2028, religious tourism will open employment avenues for both temporary and permanent workers," Alug told PTI.

According to industry reports, the number of overnight journeys for pilgrimages went up post-Covid and there was a 14 per cent rise in donations in 2021-2022, he said.

The recent inauguration of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya could further boost religious tourism, he said.

"The inauguration of Ram Mandir alone is expected to add nearly 25,000 jobs across multiple roles, such as chef, front desk manager, housekeeping, and tour guide," Alug said.

"Religious tourism is expected to bolster opportunities for entrepreneurship in food services, consumer goods, hospitality, transportation, religious materials, handicraft, local textile, logistics, warehousing, and packaging, among others.

"We anticipate a rise of 6-8 per cent in new enterprises catering specifically to religious tourists across the country," he added.

According to the Ministry of Tourism data, 1,439 million people embarked on religious tourism in 2022 while such destinations earned Rs 1.34 lakh crore.

Several small towns and non-metro cities in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha are witnessing a large influx of tourists, Alug added.