Proceedings of the International Conference on Advancing Economics (ICAE): Redefining Growth: Integrating Economy Society and Sustainability for a Resilient Future (ICAE 2026)

International Conference on Advancing Economics (ICAE): Redefining Growth: Integrating Economy Society and Sustainability for a Resilient Future (ICAE 2026)

📍Ghaziabad, Delhi NCR, India🗓️ 25-26 February 2026
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Spiritual Tourism – Trend and Policy Measures in India

Authors
Amlan Ray1, *, Rajni Bala2, Pallavi Mathur3, Kritika Tekwani4, Tanuja Singh5, Avantika Singh6
1Academic Head, Sunstone Education Technology Pvt. Ltd., Gurugram, Haryana, India
2Associate Professor, Chitkara Business School, Chitkara University, Punjab, India
3Professor, JECRC University, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
4Academic Associate - Strategy Area, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, Vastrapur, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
5Associate Professor, University School of Business, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, India
6Assistant Professor, Department of Management, Central University of Rajasthan, Bandarsndari, India
*Corresponding author. Email: amlanray1@gmail.com
Corresponding Author
Amlan Ray
Available Online 8 October 2026.
DOI
10.2991/978-94-6239-795-8_20How to use a DOI?
Keywords
Spiritual; religious; tourism; India; policy
Abstract

Spiritual tourism, a significant part of India’s culture and heritage, has seen notable growth in the past decade. The country’s rich cultural heritage and its long-standing tradition of multi-faith practices have made it a preferred destination for both domestic and international tourists. Since 2014, spiritual tourism has experienced a surge, a trend that has continued even after the pandemic-induced decline. Tourists are exploring almost all major religious and spiritual destinations across India. The Government of India has supported this growth through initiatives like the ‘Swadesh Darshan Scheme’ and the ‘Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive’ (PRASHAD). While these schemes have been effective in developing infrastructure at key spiritual sites, there is still room for improvement. More effective fund utilization and enhanced promotional measures are needed to highlight these destinations. A new tourism policy with a long-term strategic vision for spiritual tourism could significantly benefit both the tourism sector and the Indian economy in the future. This study assesses the government schemes deployed for promoting religious tourism by analysing the latest available dataset and attempts to make recommendations for future policy measures in the tourism sector.

Copyright
© 2026 The Author(s)
Open Access
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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Volume Title
Proceedings of the International Conference on Advancing Economics (ICAE): Redefining Growth: Integrating Economy Society and Sustainability for a Resilient Future (ICAE 2026)
Series
Advances in Economics, Business and Management Research
Publication Date
8 October 2026
ISBN
978-94-6239-795-8
ISSN
2352-5428
DOI
10.2991/978-94-6239-795-8_20How to use a DOI?
Copyright
© 2026 The Author(s)
Open Access
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

Cite this article

risenwbib
TY  - CONF
AU  - Amlan Ray
AU  - Rajni Bala
AU  - Pallavi Mathur
AU  - Kritika Tekwani
AU  - Tanuja Singh
AU  - Avantika Singh
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/08
TI  - Spiritual Tourism – Trend and Policy Measures in India
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Advancing Economics (ICAE): Redefining Growth: Integrating Economy Society and Sustainability for a Resilient Future (ICAE 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 339
EP  - 351
SN  - 2352-5428
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-795-8_20
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-795-8_20
ID  - Ray2026
ER  -