MakeMyTrip’s Pilgrimage Travel Trends 2024-25 reveal strong growth across pilgrimage cities

Pilgrimage travel is rising as one of many fast-growing segments of India’s journey and tourism trade. In accordance with MakeMyTrip’s Pilgrimage Journey Tendencies 2024-25 evaluation, lodging bookings throughout 56 pilgrimage locations grew by 19% in FY24-25. The corporate mentioned the pilgrimage journey tendencies spotlight broad-based momentum, with 34 locations recording double-digit progress and 15 locations rising by over 25%, underscoring how religious journeys have gotten a strong driver of journey demand.

The corporate mentioned the breadth of progress throughout pilgrimage locations will be seen in centres equivalent to Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh), Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh), Puri (Odisha), Amritsar (Punjab) and Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh), which proceed to develop. On the identical time, locations like Khatushyam Ji (Rajasthan), Omkareshwar (Madhya Pradesh) and Thiruchendur (Tamil Nadu) are additionally registering ‘robust’ momentum, reflecting the widening canvas of religious journey within the nation.

The robust progress in pilgrimage demand can also be driving an aggressive enlargement of lodging provide throughout key locations. Travellers are largely choosing quick, purpose-driven stays, with greater than half selecting single-night journeys. On the identical time, premiumisation is gaining momentum, bookings for rooms priced above Rs 7,000 grew by over 20%, the corporate mentioned.

Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder and Group CEO, MakeMyTrip, mentioned the corporate is seeing seeing regular progress in pilgrimage journey, fuelled by stronger connectivity and Indians throughout all age teams and revenue segments planning pilgrimage-led journeys. “This rising demand is broadening traveller expectations and prompting the trade to innovate in ways in which higher serve the distinctive wants of the pilgrim traveller,” he added.

The late reserving pattern is attribute of Indian travellers, reducing throughout all segments of journey. Pilgrimage journey, very similar to leisure, continues to be booked very near the date of journey, with greater than 63% of bookings made inside six days of departure, MakeMyTrip said.

Pilgrimage journey stays outlined by quick, purpose-driven stays. Greater than half of all travellers (53%) go for single-night visits, in comparison with 45% in leisure journey, as per MakeMyTrip . Two-night stays make up almost one-third (31%) of journeys, whereas three-night stays account for simply 11%. Longer durations of 4 nights or extra collectively contribute lower than 5% of bookings, in distinction to leisure journey, which reveals a extra even unfold throughout a number of nights.Over the previous three years, pilgrimage locations have seen a pointy rise in lodging provide. Greater than a 3rd of all lodge rooms accessible right now at these areas had been launched in the course of the previous three years, with even quicker progress in homestays, residences, and hostels. The enlargement of homestays displays each new additions and present properties coming on-line as hosts faucet into rising demand. “Premium provide has additionally scaled quickly, 63% of the premium lodging accessible right now had been launched throughout the identical interval, reflecting how companies are actively investing to seize the demand in premium phase,” the corporate mentioned in an announcement.