Produced by: BusinessToday Desk
From mosques and monasteries to temples and cathedrals — the world’s holiest sites now welcome everyone. As faith and travel intertwine, pilgrimages are no longer bound by religion but powered by curiosity.
450 million travelers now journey not for selfies, but for spirit. A Dublin study reveals one in three tourists seeks sacred ground — proof that even in an age of AI, humanity still chases divinity.
In Kyoto, 1,600 shrines hum with centuries of prayer. Beneath the glint of Kinkaku-ji’s golden roof, the stillness feels alive — drawing 75 million souls who come not to speak, but to listen.
At dawn in Varanasi, the Ganges glows gold. Chanting pilgrims wade into the sacred waters, believing one dip washes away lifetimes of sin. Whether you believe or not, the moment moves you.
Jerusalem’s stones have absorbed 3,000 years of faith and fire. Jews, Christians, and Muslims pray within steps of each other — proof that history can divide walls but not erase devotion.
Once Hindu, now Buddhist — Angkor Wat’s identity has evolved like the people around it. Its towering spires and stone faces whisper stories of gods that changed, but never truly left.
From the arms of Christ the Redeemer, Rio stretches out like a living mosaic of faith, samba, and sea spray. Here, spirituality and spectacle dance together under an eternal tropical sky.
High in Lhasa, monks debate under fluttering prayer flags while the Himalayas watch in silence. The Potala Palace looms — part fortress, part temple, all heartbeat of a nation seeking peace.
From Mecca’s Kaaba to Canterbury’s cathedral bells, the rhythm of worship beats across borders. What unites millions of travelers isn’t belief — it’s the shared human hunger for meaning.