The report shows a rise in youth participation in pilgrimage travel compared to FY25. Younger Indians are increasingly visiting spiritual destinations such as Rishikesh, Varanasi, Thanjavur, Tirupati, Nanded and Ujjain.
“India’s spiritual travel segment continues to see strong participation across generations, with younger travellers becoming increasingly visible across key routes and destinations to religious and pilgrimage destinations,” the report stated.
The data indicated that Gen Z has become the largest group in this category. Men account for about 69% of these travellers, while women make up nearly 31%.
Routes such as Bengaluru–Tirupati, Hyderabad–Tirupati, Rishikesh–Delhi, Pune–Nanded, Chennai–Thanjavur and Indore–Ujjain are seeing strong demand from young travellers. The Bengaluru–Tirupati route alone has seen lakhs of Gen Z passengers, the report said.
Spiritual travel is becoming more spontaneous and mobile-driven for Gen Z. The report shows that more young travellers are booking spiritual trips closer to departure dates. Bookings made within four hours of travel have risen from 16% in 2022 to about 23% in 2026.
Young travellers are now discovering spiritual destinations not just through family or community suggestions, but also through digital content such as travel vlogs, reels and social media posts. Industry reports from 2024 estimate that spiritual tourism contributes nearly 60% of domestic tourism in India.
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More Gen Z travellers going on spiritual trips is not changing the real meaning of these journeys. “More Gen Z travellers going on spiritual trips is not changing the real meaning of these journeys. The purpose is still the same,” the report states.
“For young India, these journeys remain anchored in tradition, family, culture and a deeper personal connection to spiritual destinations,” the report adds.
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(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)
First Published: Jun 4, 2026 6:08 PM IST
