The curious India tourism paradox. Domestic pilgrims opt for luxury, foreigners go budget https://theprint.in/ground-reports/the-curious-india-tourism-paradox-domestic-pilgrims-opt-for-luxury-foreigners-go-budget/2640086/?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-intl .. Udit Hinduja 29 May, 2025 Once seen as the preserve of pensioners or the devout poor, pilgrimage travel has gone mainstream. College students, middle-class families, and high-end travellers alike are scrambling to book temple-centric trips, from Kedarnath in Uttarakhand to Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu. A post-Covid reality check and pivot toward faith, government-led temple-infrastructure development and better access to pilgrimage cities is redefining India’s tourism sector
India’s pilgrimage business is booming, with choppers for the rich and dorm beds for the poor. But the days of wooing foreigners to the Taj, Jaisalmer, and Palace on Wheels are over. In Modi’s decade, the priority has shifted to the domestic base.