Oyo expands footprint: 500 hotels planned for India’s sacred locations

Travel tech unicorn Oyo on Wednesday said it is planning to add 500 hotels in religious hubs, including Ayodhya, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Puri, Haridwar, Mathura, Vrindavan, Amritsar, Ujjain, Ajmer, Nasik, and Tirupati, this year.

Booming Religious Tourism Fuels Expansion Plans

The announcement comes at a time when religious tourism in the country is booming and the government has launched several initiatives that aim to improve infrastructure at tourist sites and develop tourist attractions, including the PRASHAD scheme, the Ramayana Circuit, and the Swadesh Darshan Scheme.

Specific Plans for Hotel Additions in Key Locations

In a statement, Oyo said it will add over 150 hotels in Ayodhya, 100 in Varanasi and 50 each in Prayagraj, Haridwar, and Puri. Ayodhya also topped the list of most-searched religious destinations for New Year holidays, emerging as a major spiritual tourism destination. "This move comes in response to the surging demand for quality accommodation following the inauguration of the Ram temple last year. Ayodhya has also gained significant traction as the most-searched religious destination for New Year holidays this year, with searches on the Oyo app recording an impressive 39 percent year-on-year growth," the company stated.

Strategic Focus on Key Religious Centres

Oyo India Chief Operating Officer Varun Jain said, "Our focus is on launching strategically located hotels, particularly in key religious centres, to cater to the growing demand for high-quality accommodations among pilgrims and visitors. We are also actively monitoring emerging trends in religious tourism, including shifts in visitor preferences, seasonal travel patterns, and the growing popularity of lesser-known pilgrimage destinations."

Projected Growth of Religious Tourism Sector

The religious tourism sector is expected to generate a revenue of $59 billion by 2028, creating 140 million temporary and permanent jobs by 2030.