Ritesh Agarwal claims that spiritual tourism is growing in India during the Maha Kumbh Mela and describes Oyo's strategies to satisfy demand.

In the midst of Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh's ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela 2025, Oyo founder and group CEO Ritesh Agarwal posted on social media on Monday to explain how the firm intends to address the growing demand for spiritual tourism in India, citing data from hotel bookings.

OYO is stepping in to make your travels more comfortable as spiritual tourism in India grows. Because going for faith shouldn't entail sacrificing a decent place to stay [sic], we'll be adding 500 hotels across 12 main pilgrimage destinations by the end of 2025, Ritesh Agarwal wrote on the microblogging site X.

In light of India's growing spiritual tourism industry, what plans does Oyo have?
With more than 150 new hotels, Ayodhya is at the forefront of Oyo's expansion aspirations, according to Ritesh Agarwal. "Ayodhya has become one of the most searched destinations for New Year holidays since the Ram Temple opened, with searches on the OYO app increasing by 39% year-over-year (YoY)," he said.
Additionally, according to Agarwal, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Haridwar, and Puri are "next in line, with a combined 250 new hotels planned." "Prayagraj in particular is already seeing booking demand that's double our current inventory," he said, referring to the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025.
"The remaining locations will be in places like Amritsar, Ujjain, Nasik, Vrindavan, and Tirupati, guaranteeing that you'll always find a warm stay near "The remaining ones will be in places like Amritsar, Ujjain, Nasik, Vrindavan, and Tirupati, so you can always find a friendly place to stay near where you need to be," he continued."Meeting Actual Demand" Says Ritesh Agarwal of Oyo
"This is about meeting actual demand, not just about building more hotels," Agarwal stated. "We're excited to contribute to this growing movement," he added, adding that religious tourism is predicted to create 140 million (14 crore) jobs by 2030 and bring in $59 billion (about ₹1,500 crore) in revenue by 2028.

Spiritual places are now drawing people of all ages more than ever before, from young people looking for solace to seniors seeking comfort. Our aim is to make your journey as easy as possible while maintaining its significance, regardless of whether it is your first time or a yearly ritual. Where are you going next? Agarwal inquired.