RELIGIOUS TOURISM MARKET SIZE AND SHARE ANALYSIS - GROWTH TRENDS AND FORECASTS (2024-2031)

Regional Analysis

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The Middle East region has dominated the global religious tourism market for decades with 38.9% of the market share. Home to the holiest sites in Islam including Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem, Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia and Israel receive millions of pilgrims annually. The Umrah and Hajj pilgrimages to Mecca alone attract over 3 million international visitors each year. Saudi Arabia leverages its position as the custodian of these sites to promote religious tourism as a major economic driver. It has invested heavily in expanding airport and transportation infrastructure as well as accommodations near religious sites to facilitate pilgrimage. The country earns a significant portion of its GDP through service industries catering to religious visitors’ needs. Religious institutions and tourism boards in other Middle Eastern markets like Israel and Palestine also work closely with local authorities to attract religious tourists through efficient visa policies and promoting lesser-known holy sites.

A newly emerging region gaining strong momentum in religious tourism is Asia Pacific. Countries like Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia are witnessing exponential growth driven by a surge in Buddhist pilgrims from East Asia as well as a rise in Western spiritual tourists exploring local traditions. Indonesia, home to historic pilgrimage sites on the islands of Bali and Java, has seen its religious tourism numbers doubling every few years. Local governments offer attractive visa policies and budget accommodation options to draw more regional visitors. Countries in the region have also worked on improving connectivity and developing niche spiritual tourism infrastructure at famous pagodas, temples, and ashrams. Religious institutions have unskilled local communities to better accommodate diverse foreign faiths and cultural practices. The thriving diversity and relative affordability make Southeast Asia an optimal choice for a new generation of experience seeking religious visitors.