Visitor arrivals in Varanasi to increase three-fold on back of expansion in tourism infra

Varanasi, a city that American author Mark Twain once described as “older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together”, has always been popular with pilgrims. The head of the country’s apex tourist association has now said that the number of tourist arrivals to the city is expected to start spiking further from early next year.

“We see visitor arrivals in Varanasi to start increasing by three times from the current number after the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya (220 km away) by January 2024. Most arrivals are expected from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and South India to turn Varanasi-Prayagraj-Ayodhya-Chitrakoot into a popular pilgrim circuit,” president of the Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI) & director of travel agency Diplomatic Travel Point, PP Khanna, has told Business Today.

The inauguration of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor has especially helped further enhance Varanasi’s popularity with pilgrims. This is evidenced by the fact the city witnessed more than 72 million domestic and international arrivals in 2022, according to official numbers. Per estimates compiled by DAV PG college – affiliated with the prestigious Banaras Hindu University (BHU) – this increase in the number of visitors has contributed to a 20-65 per cent increase in the income of hoteliers, shop owners, drivers of e-rickshaws and cabbies.

In recent years, Varanasi has also attracted visitors owing to its position as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency, improvement in connectivity and movies. The launch of the country’s first semi-high-speed Vande Bharat train on the Delhi-Varanasi sector in 2019 has helped in markedly cutting down travel time.

“Due to the place’s association with the prime minister, a lot of central and state ministers have been regularly visiting there. Also, after the commencement of the Vande Bharat service travellers get to reach Varanasi by the afternoon, perform the Ganga aarti in the evening and return to Delhi the very next day,” informed Khanna.

Besides, the Indian film industry has also played its role in advertising the city.

“The destination has also gained traction as a locale for film shoots for both north as well as south Indian movies due to its long and cherished heritage as well as its association with the river Ganges,” observed Khanna.

Films shot in the recent past include Hotel Salvation, Banaras, Masan, Raanjhanaa, Laaga Chunari Mei Daag and Isaaq.

Sustained growth in spiritual tourism

Other travel industry insiders, see the sustained growth in Varanasi’s popularity as part of a larger trend, i.e., a growing interest in spiritual tourism.

“The spiritual tourism category remains a healthy growth area this year. Top domestic spiritual destinations have witnessed a 21 per cent growth in air passenger traffic compared to pre-Covid-19 times… Domestic airlines have also responded to the burgeoning demand by adding 15 per cent incremental capacity to prominent spiritual destinations,” averred co-founder & group CEO at the country’s largest online travel agency MakeMyTrip, Rajesh Magow.

For instance, all leading scheduled domestic carriers such as IndiGo, Air India, Vistara and Akasa operate flights to Varanasi.

“The overall [spiritual tourism] category has grown by 20 per cent vis-à-vis pre-Covid levels. A noteworthy trend is the increasing interest in pilgrimage travel during long weekends,” added Magow.

And what better way to do that than visiting Varanasi, a city that millions have visited over millennia for salvation?