Maha Kumbh Mela a godsend for travel industry as spiritual tourism takes wing

The travel industry is expecting a windfall from this year’s Maha Kumbh Mela, expected to attract up to 400 million  visitors to Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh over the next six weeks. The event, held every 12 years, is extra-special this year, as it marks the culmination of a dozen 12-year cycles, or 144 years.

The world’s largest human gathering has attracted millions of devout pilgrims and eager tourists, from both India and across the world. Responding to the spike in travel demand, Tata Group-owned Air India on Tuesday opened daily flights between Delhi and Prayagraj for the entire duration of the event. Given the limited travel options, one-way airfares to Prayagraj from Delhi and Mumbai had shot up from around ₹6,000 to around ₹15,500. 

Travel agencies said airfares to Prayagraj have surged by as much as three times compared to last year, with cities such as Jaipur, Bengaluru and Mumbai seeing the sharpest increases. Flights to Varanasi, another key destination on the pilgrimage route, are 15% higher than a year ago, they said.

The surge in numbers

Travel and hotel booking platform Cleartrip said the numbers paint a striking picture of the travel boom. Hotel bookings in Prayagraj soared nearly 10-fold from last year, while accommodation costs are up 19% in Ayodhya and 6% in both Prayagraj and Varanasi, said Anuj Rathi, chief business and growth officer of Cleartrip, which is owned by Flipkart. The uptick in travel demand has also translated to a 65% rise in flight bookings to Prayagraj and a doubling of the average airfare, he added.

Neighbouring cities such as Varanasi too have witnessed a rise in flight bookings and hotel reservations as pilgrims extend their itineraries to multiple sacred sites. Prices are up across the board as demand for transport and accommodation far outstrips supply.

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“We’ve seen a 20-25% rise in expenditure compared to the previous Kumbh Melas. While many of our customers are travelling to Prayagraj from India, NRIs and tourists from around the world are also keen to explore the Ayodhya-Varanasi-Prayagraj circuit,” said Rajeev Kale, president and country head of holidays, MICE, and visas at Thomas Cook (India) Ltd. To meet the demand, the company has expanded its offerings, providing yatra packages spanning two to five nights with various types of accommodation, guided tours, and spiritual activities including yoga and meditation.

Government-owned rail ricket and hotels booking platform IRCTC has introduced room and villa packages starting at ₹18,000-20,000 for double occupancy at tents it has set up on a portion of the 4,000 hectares the mela spans. Likewise, Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan (DJJS), a spiritual organization, has set up a nine-acre camp in the city and expects to attract 1.5 million to 2 million visitors.

There’s also a notable shift in demographics, according to S.D. Nandakumar, president and country head of holidays and corporate tours at SOTC Travel. “What was once a senior-citizen-focused market is now expanding across all age groups," he said. "People today are seeking meaningful, transformative experiences, and the Kumbh Mela offers that in abundance.” Demand is also spreading beyond major cities, with growing numbers of pilgrims from tier II and tier III towns, he added.

Trade association CAIT estimates the festival has a budget of ₹7,500 crore and will generate revenue of ₹2 trillion if every visitor spends ₹5,000 a day. Of this, ₹2,500 crore will come from hospitality and another ₹300-350 crore from travel. Another ₹4,000 crore will come from milk and dairy products and ₹6,000 crore from vegetables and other groceries.

Spirit in the sky

Spiritual tourism has become a significant driver of India’s tourism industry, with events such as the Maha Kumbh Mela at the forefront of this boom. Rajeev Kale, president and country head of holidays, MICE, and visas at Thomas Cook (India) Ltd, said this year’s mela is seeing a sharp increase in both the number of visitors and their spending.

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Andrew Fischer (38) from Germany, a self-described digital nomad, took a flight from Delhi to Prayagraj on Monday afternoon. He intends to travel for at least two weeks, taking in and documenting a festival of the kind he's never seen in Germany. "I'm excited but don't really know what to expect. Photography is my passion. Since I work from anywhere, and was in Delhi for a friend's wedding, I couldn't give up this opportunity," he told Mint.

Ritu Sharma (62) from Noida is also among the first-time attendees. She signed up for a six-day trip to Uttar Pradesh, including two days at the mela, with a small travel agency that offers packages for groups of women. The group will arrive at Varanasi airport and spend a day or two visiting the city’s temples, including the new Kashi Vishwanath Temple. From there they will travel to Prayagraj for the mela, and subsequently to Ayodhya and Lucknow.

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There’s also a notable shift in demographics, according to SD Nandakumar, president and country head of holidays and corporate tours at SOTC Travel. "What was once a senior-citizen-focused market is now expanding across all age groups," he said. "People today are seeking meaningful, transformative experiences, and the Kumbh Mela offers that in abundance." Demand is also spreading beyond major cities, with growing numbers of pilgrims from tier 2 and tier 3 towns, he added.