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Spiritual travel goes high-class as more and more people opt
for luxury while answering their call of faith
Banasree Purkayastha
JESSICA Adams had no idea about Sikhism except helping his turban. But
now. she can recite the "Eik Omkar" with finesse. This became possible
only after the couple flew from Canada to Punjab, after opting for a Sikh tourism
package. The trip was not devoid of fun. Not only did Jessica visit the Golden
Temple in Amritsar, Damdama Sahib and Anandpur Sahib, she also indulged in a shopping
spree that included the mandatory Punjabi jootis, parandeys and phulkari handiwork.
Says Parvinder Singh, who organised the tour, "NRIs from Canada, US and UK
are our main customers. The second-generation NRIs want to know about their
culture and we offer them custom-made tours, keeping their comfort in
mind."
But it is not only NRIs who are opting for such spiritual
tours sans the discomfort associated with it. For a lot of Indians, spiritual
quest is no longer about slumming it out in a dharamshala. Spiritual travel
has gone high-class, with all the trappings of luxury. People are queuing up with
their Louis Vuitton bags to get their darshan, expenses notwithstanding.
It is a mix of the esoteric and the exotic which high-end faith trav-ellers are
seeking. From travelling m private jets to sleeping in palaces, sumptuous meals
to meditation ceremonies, personalised excursion trips led by guides who
are experts in archaeology, art and history to having a physician on call - it's
all that you could dream of.
Points out Heena Akhtar, COO at Travel Port
Holidays India Ltd, which organises trips to Kailash Manosarovar besides the more
popular treks like the Amarnath Yatra, Vaishno Devi and the Shree Shikharji
Yatra, "Religion has always been the top reason for travelling in India.
The only difference now is that people do not want to huff and puff up the hill
but arrive in style to receive blessings."
Not just India, but
across the world, there has been an increase in overall demand for religious travel
by people and travel agents and tour operators are cashing in on these spiritual
encounters. Between 2-3% of all worldwide tourists today are classified as religious
or spiritual, according to Kevin Wright, executive director of the World Religious
Travel Association, a trade group set up this year to help organise the faith-based
market. "The worldwide religious tourism industry is valued at an estimated
$18 billion; the worldwide international tourism industry (receipts) was valued
at $680 billion in 2005," he says. The religious travel mart in India is
put at around Rs 200 million.
There are several key reasons for the
growth, including people around the world seeking more "intimate" and
meaningful vacation experiences; for many, this means combining their
faith with travel. Explains Wright, "The trend of integrating faith with
travel has grown in the past two decades because major tour companies and
travel agencies are also entering the market now."
TravelCorp
India is one such tour operator that has seen the writing on the wall. The Kolkata-based
company is putting the finishing touches to its plan to send around 700 Jains
on a cruise along the South China Sea. The entire group will be flown on a charter
flight to Singapore from where they will set sail for a religious meeting that
will include a yagna on the high seas. Since the casinos or bars would be anathema,
special films, religious discourses, satsangs have been planned, while traditional
Jain meals will be prepared by a bevy of special chefs. Says TravelCorp executive
director, Shekhar Niyogi, "The group wanted to have the yagna on the sea
so we approached them with the cruise option. It will cost about $1000-1500 per
person. We have earlier organised trips for Catholic groups to religious places
in Europe We have approached church groups who have responded enthusiastically
to the idea."
The Buddhist circuit in India has always been
popular with tourists flocking in from Sri Lanka, the Far East and Japan. In 2005,
the number of tourist arrivals from Japan to India crossed one lakh. And while
they are here, they also indulge themselves at luxury spas, throwing in some meditation
and yoga. Says Ashok Khanna, Managing Director, IHHR, "People combine a wellness
holiday with visits to ashrams and temples. Ananda in the Himalayas hosts people
who come forawellnessholidaytodetoxand distress and combine it with an aarti
on the banks of the river Ganges."
The increased advertising
and sales efforts by tourist boards catering to the religious market (examples
include India, Jordan, Egypt and Scotland), the greater number of travel guide
books being published on the subject - for example, one of the world's largest
publishers Thomas Nelson is debuting in 2008 a new faith-based travel guidebook
series -have contributed to the visibility and publicity of religious tourism.
"Not just interest in one's own religion but curiosity about myriad faiths
is also propelling this industry. So you have non-Buddhists going to Tibet or
Myanmar, well-heeled Indians on a shamanic journey to exotic Egypt," says
Niyogi.
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Source : The Financial
Express
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