India Travel Boom Lifts Temple Towns as Hanoi and Da Nang Searches Surge Among Indian Tourists

India’s travel boom is lifting temple towns while Hanoi and Da Nang searches surge among Indian tourists, according to fresh accommodation-search data from Agoda. The latest figures show travellers looking beyond conventional beach and city holidays, with pilgrimage centres such as Pachmarhi, Ujjain, Puri, Varanasi and Tirupati recording strong year-on-year interest for September travel. At the same time, Indian travellers are increasingly searching Southeast Asian destinations including Hanoi, Da Nang, Kuala Lumpur and Bali, where temples, cultural heritage, food, beaches and urban experiences can be combined within one holiday. The pattern supports a wider 2026 trend identified by Agoda: Indian travellers are the most likely among surveyed Asian markets to consider spiritual or religious experiences when planning a trip.

Spiritual Travel Becomes a Major Indian Tourism Trend

Faith has always played an important role in Indian domestic travel, but Agoda’s latest figures suggest that spirituality is becoming increasingly visible in digital travel planning.

Agoda’s 2026 Travel Outlook found that 19% of Indian respondents consider spiritual or religious experiences when planning travel this year.

That placed India first among the Asian markets covered by the survey for spiritually motivated travel intentions.

Indonesia ranked second and Malaysia third, followed by Japan and Thailand.

The findings suggest that pilgrimage is no longer operating separately from mainstream leisure tourism. Travellers can combine religious sites with nature, food, heritage, beaches and other experiences during the same journey.

Pachmarhi Records the Biggest Search Increase

Pachmarhi emerged as the standout domestic destination in Agoda’s latest September travel data.

Accommodation searches for the Madhya Pradesh hill destination increased almost sevenfold compared with the previous year.

Pachmarhi combines natural landscapes with religious sites, including Jatashankar Temple.

Its performance shows how destinations offering both spiritual and nature-based experiences can appeal to travellers seeking more than a conventional pilgrimage.

Ujjain also recorded exceptional growth.

Accommodation searches for the Madhya Pradesh pilgrimage city almost tripled year on year. Ujjain is home to Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga and remains one of India’s major Hindu pilgrimage destinations.

Where Indian travellers are searching

The figures compare Agoda accommodation searches for September travel with the corresponding period a year earlier.

Puri Searches Double as Pilgrimage Meets Coastal Tourism

Puri was another major beneficiary of the trend.

Accommodation searches doubled year on year.

The Odisha destination occupies an unusual position in Indian tourism because pilgrimage and leisure coexist naturally.

The Jagannath Temple gives Puri enormous religious importance, while its Bay of Bengal coastline supports a large leisure-tourism economy.

That combination can encourage travellers to extend a pilgrimage into a broader holiday rather than treating the visit solely as a religious journey.

Agoda’s other 2026 datasets have also shown growing interest in Puri. The platform reported a 68% increase in family accommodation searches for the May-June summer travel period compared with the previous year.

Varanasi and Tirupati Maintain Strong Appeal

Varanasi recorded a 44% increase in accommodation searches.

Its temples, Ganges ghats and centuries-old religious traditions make it one of India’s most internationally recognised spiritual destinations.

Tirupati registered a 29% increase.

The Andhra Pradesh destination is closely associated with Sri Venkateswara Temple and remains a major centre for pilgrimage travel.

Together with Pachmarhi, Ujjain and Puri, these destinations illustrate the geographical breadth of India’s faith-driven tourism market.

Travellers are searching across central, eastern, northern and southern India rather than concentrating demand in one pilgrimage corridor.

Hanoi Emerges as a Strong Overseas Choice

The trend becomes more complex when Indian travellers head overseas.

Hanoi recorded a 58% year-on-year increase in accommodation searches for September, according to Agoda.

It would be misleading, however, to describe all this demand as religious tourism.

Vietnam’s capital offers a broader mix of historic neighbourhoods, cultural heritage, food and urban attractions.

For Indian travellers, that combination can complement an increasing interest in culturally meaningful trips without requiring the entire holiday to revolve around pilgrimage.

This distinction is important when interpreting Agoda’s data.

The accommodation searches demonstrate growing destination interest. They do not prove that every traveller searching Hanoi is making a spiritually motivated journey.

Da Nang Combines Beaches With Buddhist Heritage

Da Nang recorded an even more striking 50% increase in accommodation search interest.

Its appeal illustrates how spiritual and mainstream leisure tourism can overlap.

Da Nang is a major coastal destination, but visitors can also explore Buddhist cultural sites.

Agoda specifically highlighted Linh Ung Pagoda on the Son Tra Peninsula, known for its large Guanyin statue.

The city is also close to Hoi An, giving travellers opportunities to combine beaches, heritage, food and cultural sightseeing within one itinerary.

This blended proposition could be increasingly important as Indian outbound travellers look for holidays offering several experiences rather than a single attraction.

Kuala Lumpur Gains 35%

Kuala Lumpur recorded a 35% increase in searches.

Malaysia’s capital provides a particularly diverse religious and cultural landscape.

Visitors can experience Batu Caves, Thean Hou Temple and Sri Maha Mariamman Temple alongside the city’s shopping, food and modern urban attractions.

For Indian travellers, the city can therefore work as a short international break while also providing access to places carrying religious or cultural significance.

The trend also fits Agoda’s wider findings: Malaysia ranked third among the Asian markets surveyed for planned spiritually motivated travel in 2026.

Bali Remains Part of the Cultural Travel Story

Bali registered a 24% increase in accommodation searches.

The Indonesian island has long been associated with beaches and resorts, but its tourism identity is deeply connected with Balinese Hindu culture.

Temples such as Tanah Lot, Besakih and Lempuyang add a strong spiritual and cultural dimension to the destination.

For Indian visitors, Bali can consequently combine familiar religious connections with an international island holiday.

This is another example of why the emerging trend is broader than conventional pilgrimage tourism.

Maha Kumbh Demonstrated the Scale of Faith-Driven Demand

Agoda’s earlier data provides another indication of how dramatically major religious events can influence accommodation demand.

During the 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela, Prayagraj recorded a 233% increase in accommodation searches on Agoda.

The scale of that rise demonstrated the commercial impact major religious gatherings can have on hotels and other accommodation providers.

Faith-driven travel can generate demand not only for temples and religious institutions but also for transport, accommodation, restaurants, guides and local tourism businesses.

Festivals Are Also Turning Into Travel Occasions

Religious and cultural festivals are increasingly influencing when Indian travellers take holidays.

Agoda’s Holi research earlier this year recorded major increases in accommodation searches across several culturally significant destinations.

Jaipur rose 282%, Udaipur 233%, Pushkar 195%, Vrindavan 126% and Mathura 109%.

The pattern suggests that travellers are increasingly planning trips around the experience of being physically present for festivals and traditions.

That creates a tourism model where the calendar itself becomes an important demand generator.

Indian Travellers Are Mixing Domestic and International Holidays

Agoda’s broader 2026 research shows that Indian travel demand is not moving exclusively towards either domestic or international holidays.

More than half of Indian respondents — 51% — said they planned to travel domestically and internationally in roughly equal measure.

Another 35% expected to travel domestically more frequently than internationally, up from 25% in the previous year’s survey.

Family travel also remains important. Agoda found that 40% of Indian respondents expected primarily to travel with family, while 34% expected to travel with a spouse or partner.

These patterns help explain why destinations combining religious, cultural and leisure attractions can perform strongly.

Spiritual Tourism Is Becoming a Wider Experience Economy

The emerging market opportunity extends beyond accommodation.

A spiritual journey can involve transport, local guides, food, cultural activities, wellness experiences and visits to surrounding attractions.

Destinations that successfully combine these elements may encourage travellers to stay longer and distribute spending beyond the primary religious attraction.

For tourism businesses, this creates opportunities to build itineraries around experiences rather than simply hotel nights.

It also means that destinations traditionally regarded as pilgrimage centres increasingly operate within the broader leisure-tourism market.

Conclusion: India Travel Boom Lifts Temple Towns as Hanoi and Da Nang Searches Surge Among Indian Tourists

India’s travel boom is lifting temple towns as Hanoi and Da Nang searches surge among Indian tourists because travellers are increasingly combining spirituality, culture, nature and leisure rather than treating them as separate types of holidays.

Agoda’s September accommodation data provides strong evidence of that shift. Pachmarhi searches rose nearly sevenfold, Ujjain almost tripled, Puri doubled, Varanasi increased 44% and Tirupati climbed 29%.

The pattern extends internationally but becomes broader than pilgrimage alone. Hanoi recorded 58% growth in search interest and Da Nang rose 50%, while Kuala Lumpur increased 35% and Bali 24%. These destinations combine cultural or spiritual attractions with food, beaches, heritage and city experiences.

Agoda’s wider finding that 19% of Indian respondents consider spiritual or religious experiences when planning travel in 2026 helps explain why faith is becoming increasingly relevant to tourism demand.

The result is a more blended Indian travel market. Temple towns remain powerful domestic magnets, while culturally rich Southeast Asian cities are increasingly entering the same consideration set. For destinations and tourism businesses, India’s growing appetite for meaningful experiences could make spirituality and cultural heritage increasingly important drivers of both domestic and outbound travel.