Kashmir's breathtaking landscapes have long made it one of India's most sought-after tourist destinations. But rapid tourism-driven construction is now raising serious environmental concerns. According to official figures, more than 5,000 hotels have been built across the Kashmir Valley since 2021, with authorities stating that around 90% allegedly lack the required approvals. Popular destinations such as Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg, Gurez, and Doodhpathri are witnessing a surge in hotels, homestays, and commercial buildings.

Kashmir's Tourism Boom Sparks Environmental Alarm | 90% of New Hotels Allegedly Illegal

Kashmir's breathtaking landscapes have long made it one of India's most sought-after tourist destinations. But rapid tourism-driven construction is now raising serious environmental concerns. According to official figures, more than 5,000 hotels have been built across the Kashmir Valley since 2021, with authorities stating that around 90% allegedly lack the required approvals. Popular destinations such as Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg, Gurez, and Doodhpathri are witnessing a surge in hotels, homestays, and commercial buildings.


Kashmir's Tourism Boom Sparks Environmental Fears | 90% of New Hotels Allegedly Illegal

<p class="MsoNormal">If you are an Indian planning your next trip&hellip;including Gen Z&hellip;chances are that visiting a religious place is part of your itinerary. And it&rsquo;s not just you. Places like Ayodhya have witnessed a 70 per cent surge in tourism recently. This includes over 135 million domestic visitors!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teeth Kshetra Trust recently revealed that the trust alone has paid over 400 crore rupees ($4.6 million) in taxes over the past five years.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Of this, 270 crore rupees ($3.1 million) were paid as GST, while 130 crore rupees ($1.5 million) came under other tax categories. The trust, formed in 2020 to oversee the construction of the Ram Mandir, has seen a surge in religious tourism.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">According to the Union Tourism Ministry, Ayodhya&rsquo;s total visitors rose from 600,000 in 2020 to over 160 million in 2024. The growing influx has driven employment across multiple sectors, including hospitality, transport, and retail.<o:p></o:p></p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal"><b>The real estate boom in pilgrimage cities<o:p></o:p></b></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">Religious tourism is fuelling real estate growth across key pilgrimage sites. Developers are rapidly investing in Ayodhya, Vrindavan, and Amritsar, supported by government incentives and infrastructure upgrades.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The house of Abhinandan Lodha is among the largest developers expanding in Ayodhya, while the BCD group plans to build 1,000 to 5,000 homes in the next five years. Industry experts predict continued growth despite concerns of market overheating.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Property first realty has already facilitated multiple plot sales in Ayodhya, and demand for hotels, hostels, resorts, and dorms is rising. The faith-based tourism industry is projected to grow at 16.2 per cent annually, reaching $4.6 billion by 2033. With more infrastructure projects underway, Ayodhya&rsquo;s transformation into a spiritual tourism hub is expected to accelerate, making it a key investment destination.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Social media and digital coverage of faith-based events have significantly boosted tourism. Faith-based holidays now account for 60 per cent of domestic tourism, as per a CBRE South Asia report.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Despite the surge, these religious cities will take more time to compete with economic powerhouses, like Mumbai and Delhi. Mumbai currently leads the pack, with over 5 trillion rupees ($57 billion) in direct tax collection.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>(With the inputs from the agencies)<o:p></o:p></i></p>

Business & Economy: According to the Union Tourism Ministry, Ayodhya’s total visitors rose from 600,000 in 2020 to over 160 million in 2024. The growing influx has driven employment across multiple sectors, including hospitality, transport, and retail.

If you are an Indian planning your next trip…including Gen Z…chances are that visiting a religious place is part of your itinerary. And it’s not just you. Places like Ayodhya have witnessed a 70 per cent surge in tourism recently. This includes over 135 million domestic visitors! The secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teeth Kshetra Trust recently revealed that the trust alone has paid over 400 crore rupees ($4.6 million) in taxes over the past five years. Of this, 270 crore rupees ($3.1 million) were paid as GST, while 130 crore rupees ($1.5 million) came under other tax categories. The trust, formed in 2020 to oversee the construction of the Ram Mandir, has seen a surge in religious tourism. According to the Union Tourism Ministry, Ayodhya’s total visitors rose from 600,000 in 2020 to over 160 million in 2024. The growing influx has driven employment across multiple sectors, including hospitality, transport, and retail. The real estate boom in pilgrimage cities Religious tourism is fuelling real estate growth across key pilgrimage sites. Developers are rapidly investing in Ayodhya, Vrindavan, and Amritsar, supported by government incentives and infrastructure upgrades. The house of Abhinandan Lodha is among the largest developers expanding in Ayodhya, while the BCD group plans to build 1,000 to 5,000 homes in the next five years. Industry experts predict continued growth despite concerns of market overheating. Property first realty has already facilitated multiple plot sales in Ayodhya, and demand for hotels, hostels, resorts, and dorms is rising. The faith-based tourism industry is projected to grow at 16.2 per cent annually, reaching $4.6 billion by 2033. With more infrastructure projects underway, Ayodhya’s transformation into a spiritual tourism hub is expected to accelerate, making it a key investment destination. Social media and digital coverage of faith-based events have significantly boosted tourism. Faith-based holidays now account for 60 per cent of domestic tourism, as per a CBRE South Asia report. Despite the surge, these religious cities will take more time to compete with economic powerhouses, like Mumbai and Delhi. Mumbai currently leads the pack, with over 5 trillion rupees ($57 billion) in direct tax collection. (With the inputs from the agencies)

Religious tourism fuels India’s economic and real estate boom

To each his own that seems to be the latest mantra of the Indian Tourism Department as it sets to chart and follow a new tourism discourse for the country and design Taylor-made tourism packages for its international visitors depending on their culture.

Indian Tourism to be more comprehensive, to pitch itself as destination of culture & history

<p>When Prime Minister Narendra Modi cajoled people of India from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the Independence Day, that they should see India more before exploring the world, it surprised many. The deduction was that the PM had national integration and economy in mind. The idea was to make Indians spend more in the domestic market, creating more liquidity in the system. The idea is solid but how do you move aspirational India to take their children to a round trip to domestic hot spots of tourism?</p>

<p>It is cheaper to go to Bangkok, Sri Lanka, Yangon and Bali than organise a luxury trip to places like Rajasthan, Goa and Kerala in prime season. Going abroad today works out cheaper than organising a trip which requires a five-star stay in India. It is expensive to enjoy a vacation in Andaman and Lakshadweep, but an average Indian can have a great deal in Phuket and Jakarta. The question is why?</p>

<p>The answer is simple. The South East Asian economies have worked out an affordable model for an average global middle class to have a luxury vacation within means. The service economy is not only efficient at the place of stay but also at places where people come together. Public places are clean and most importantly toilets are cleaner.</p>

<p>Domestic tourism, on the other hand, today is only serving the top end foreign clients or the Indian tourists who travel in groups.</p>

<p>Indian domestic tourist destinations are in rundown condition, and towns and cities do not enjoy organic and natural charm because they aren't clean in the first place. People who come to see Taj Mahal and Red Fort have to perforce undergo the torture of witnessing open waste and urban ugliness of Agra. The same comes into play when people go to Lucknow, Hyderabad and Mumbai. Some states like Rajasthan and Kerala have evolved to have top end luxury hotels where one doesn't need to step outside the resort as they are built inside a fort or a verdant jungle retreat. The cities where they are located continue to remain a pile of trash. An average Indian aspirational tourist, who will not be able to afford the top end, would also not like to stay in a city which sits on a pile of trash.</p>

<p>I went to Shimla over the weekend to realise that despite a two-way highway in operation, landslides were common. I could not find one decent toilet on my way to the destination. The city was packed with weekend tourists from Chandigarh but looked completely run down. Heavy rain had washed all the garbage on the street. It was something I experienced in Goa five years back where state highways were littered with plastic. Why would anyone with decent cash at disposal would want to subject himself or herself to a country where sanitation remains an issue? It cannot be blamed on population all together. Cities with densities like Tokyo do manage garbage efficiently.</p>

<p>If Prime Minister wants aspirational Indians to go on domestic tourism, then his Swachh Bharat (Clean India) campaign needs to succeed. His campaign for clean river and his campaign against plastic needs to succeed. It will require all political parties to work for a Swachh Bharat to succeed if India wants money it spends abroad on tourism to come back to its kitty. Prime Minister has made all the right noises on sanitation. Maybe time has come for India to deploy strict rules if it wants to become an in-house destination for heavy spenders.</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)</em></p>


When Prime Minister Narendra Modi cajoled people of India from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the Independence Day, that they should see India more before exploring the world, it surprised many.

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi cajoled people of India from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the Independence Day, that they should see India more before exploring the world, it surprised many. The deduction was that the PM had national integration and economy in mind. The idea was to make Indians spend more in the domestic market, creating more liquidity in the system. The idea is solid but how do you move aspirational India to take their children to a round trip to domestic hot spots of tourism? It is cheaper to go to Bangkok, Sri Lanka, Yangon and Bali than organise a luxury trip to places like Rajasthan, Goa and Kerala in prime season. Going abroad today works out cheaper than organising a trip which requires a five-star stay in India. It is expensive to enjoy a vacation in Andaman and Lakshadweep, but an average Indian can have a great deal in Phuket and Jakarta. The question is why? The answer is simple. The South East Asian economies have worked out an affordable model for an average global middle class to have a luxury vacation within means. The service economy is not only efficient at the place of stay but also at places where people come together. Public places are clean and most importantly toilets are cleaner. Domestic tourism, on the other hand, today is only serving the top end foreign clients or the Indian tourists who travel in groups. Indian domestic tourist destinations are in rundown condition, and towns and cities do not enjoy organic and natural charm because they aren't clean in the first place. People who come to see Taj Mahal and Red Fort have to perforce undergo the torture of witnessing open waste and urban ugliness of Agra. The same comes into play when people go to Lucknow, Hyderabad and Mumbai. Some states like Rajasthan and Kerala have evolved to have top end luxury hotels where one doesn't need to step outside the resort as they are built inside a fort or a verdant jungle retreat. The cities where they are located continue to remain a pile of trash. An average Indian aspirational tourist, who will not be able to afford the top end, would also not like to stay in a city which sits on a pile of trash. I went to Shimla over the weekend to realise that despite a two-way highway in operation, landslides were common. I could not find one decent toilet on my way to the destination. The city was packed with weekend tourists from Chandigarh but looked completely run down. Heavy rain had washed all the garbage on the street. It was something I experienced in Goa five years back where state highways were littered with plastic. Why would anyone with decent cash at disposal would want to subject himself or herself to a country where sanitation remains an issue? It cannot be blamed on population all together. Cities with densities like Tokyo do manage garbage efficiently. If Prime Minister wants aspirational Indians to go on domestic tourism, then his Swachh Bharat (Clean India) campaign needs to succeed. His campaign for clean river and his campaign against plastic needs to succeed. It will require all political parties to work for a Swachh Bharat to succeed if India wants money it spends abroad on tourism to come back to its kitty. Prime Minister has made all the right noises on sanitation. Maybe time has come for India to deploy strict rules if it wants to become an in-house destination for heavy spenders. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

'Swachh Bharat' needs to be a reality for India to become a tourist hub

<p>A Swiss couple got beaten up by a group of people at Fatehpur Sikri, Agra. This beaten, swollen, bloody bodies of two human beings do not go down well with our national image. The group of people who committed this heinous crime behaved like barbarians but India is a civilised nation. We have in the past, in moments of frenzy or because of deep-seated religious values, killed few people here and there. But these victims have mostly come from minority marginalised communities.</p>

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<h5>We want foreign investment and at the same time beat up foreigners.</h5>
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<p>What prompted a group of people to bludgeon a foreign couple can be a matter of introspection. We can trivialise it as a single episode of violence without context and feel simply sad as to how these uneducated poor Indians do not even understand the shastraic injections that ask Hindus to treat all &quot;Atithis&quot;&nbsp;i.e. guests as &lsquo;deva&rsquo; or god. Nodding in despair, we can mutter to ourselves, this is indeed &lsquo;incredible India&rsquo; - we want foreign investment and at the same time beat up foreigners.</p>

<p>Taking refuge in despair or in tradition, however, is not the answer to the situation. Actions are needed and, more importantly, introspection as to what acts as sources of these kinds of violence.</p>

<p>Beating up foreigners is not new to Indians. We beat up African nationals with impunity. But there a clear difference between treatment meted out to black folks and the white people visiting the Aryavarta.</p>

<p>Indians don&rsquo;t consider themselves black. Far from it, our extensive interactions as journalists confirmed this that many Indians see Africans as monsters and cannibals. But we don&rsquo;t share similar racial animosity towards the white people. With our pride in the Aryan heritage and deep fascination about white skin, we receive westerners with a bunch of contradictory feelings. They are &lsquo;mlecchas&rsquo; or irreligious, unclean, promiscuous, are divorcing all the time, and the girls grow up with no or little values. Their mothers are not like our mothers. Their mothers smoke, drink and don&rsquo;t spend their lives in the kitchen as ours do. In all these areas we feel superior. We have something to teach them.</p>

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<h5>Millions of foreigners visit Agra every year. Both Fatehpur Sikri and Taj Mahal are global destinations for tourists.</h5>
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<p>But our fascination with the West or, more precisely, with the Whites don&rsquo;t end either. They have ruled us and, hence, they had to be superior in some intrinsic way. They are rich. They speak English-the ultimate mark of education. They are confident, even their women are.</p>

<p>So, we can&rsquo;t claim that it is jingoism that prompted this act of violence. People living in and around Agra meet and mix with foreigners on a daily basis. Millions of foreigners visit Agra every year. Both Fatehpur Sikri and Taj Mahal are global destinations for tourists.</p>

<p>The white couple was subjected to violence is the news but, in reality, the aggression was in the first placed directed towards the white woman. Maybe the couples were holding hands or maybe not. Maybe they were kissing or maybe not. We may indulge ourselves, just like the cop did, in all kinds of speculations to fathom what provoked the violence. But emphasising on the gesture will miss the bigger point as to the mindset that causes the action.</p>

<p>Even if the couple did not publicly express their affection, this violence could have taken place. My friend, another white woman from the US, during her brief research trip to Delhi, was every day subjected to sexually explicit comments, people stalked her, threw stuff in her living room etc. She almost escaped Delhi. An expert in South Asian Studies, it is sad that she is too emotionally overwhelmed to visit Delhi again.</p>

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<h5>A great nation cannot be created with petty people who continue to treat women, Indian or otherwise, as objects of lust and violence.</h5>
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<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=A great nation cannot be created with petty people who continue to treat women, Indian or otherwise, as objects of lust and violence." target="_blank"><i class="fa fa-share">&nbsp;</i></a></div>
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<p>The white people continue to be seen as the superior race; its women folks very desirable but unattainable. One doesn&#39;t need to be very smart to realise that the long history of colonial subjugation has shaped our views of the master race. But deeply entrenched within this feeling of inferiority is a perception that white women are sexually promiscuous. While Indian women are shaped by tradition to be monogamous and be under purdah, the white women, on the other hand, because of the natural ease they display in mingling with members of the opposite sex are seen as more open to sexual advances. The&nbsp;Swiss guy got beaten up not because he is a white or for being a foreigner but because he stood in the way of the expression of this lewd behaviour.</p>

<p>The stereotypes that we nurture in our heads have taken a life of their own. We don&rsquo;t exercise agencies over them. Instead, they have come to control our thoughts and actions. Historically speaking, the Western world for centuries have propagated such stereotypical views about the oriental men and women. They have portrayed us as virile, lazy, dishonest, passive, scheming, and our womenfolk, particularly, as baby churning machine with no sense of independence. An entire genre of postcolonial studies has cropped up critiquing the western approach. But the reverse stereotyping that we have given in to is making us an intolerant regressive society.</p>

<p>A great nation cannot be created with petty people who continue to treat women, Indian or otherwise, as objects of lust and violence.</p>


India can not pave the road to growth and development with hackneyed ideas prevailing in regressive minds

A Swiss couple got beaten up by a group of people at Fatehpur Sikri, Agra. This beaten, swollen, bloody bodies of two human beings do not go down well with our national image. The group of people who committed this heinous crime behaved like barbarians but India is a civilised nation. We have in the past, in moments of frenzy or because of deep-seated religious values, killed few people here and there. But these victims have mostly come from minority marginalised communities. We want foreign investment and at the same time beat up foreigners. × What prompted a group of people to bludgeon a foreign couple can be a matter of introspection. We can trivialise it as a single episode of violence without context and feel simply sad as to how these uneducated poor Indians do not even understand the shastraic injections that ask Hindus to treat all "Atithis" i.e. guests as ‘deva’ or god. Nodding in despair, we can mutter to ourselves, this is indeed ‘incredible India’ - we want foreign investment and at the same time beat up foreigners. Taking refuge in despair or in tradition, however, is not the answer to the situation. Actions are needed and, more importantly, introspection as to what acts as sources of these kinds of violence. Beating up foreigners is not new to Indians. We beat up African nationals with impunity. But there a clear difference between treatment meted out to black folks and the white people visiting the Aryavarta. Indians don’t consider themselves black. Far from it, our extensive interactions as journalists confirmed this that many Indians see Africans as monsters and cannibals. But we don’t share similar racial animosity towards the white people. With our pride in the Aryan heritage and deep fascination about white skin, we receive westerners with a bunch of contradictory feelings. They are ‘mlecchas’ or irreligious, unclean, promiscuous, are divorcing all the time, and the girls grow up with no or little values. Their mothers are not like our mothers. Their mothers smoke, drink and don’t spend their lives in the kitchen as ours do. In all these areas we feel superior. We have something to teach them. Millions of foreigners visit Agra every year. Both Fatehpur Sikri and Taj Mahal are global destinations for tourists. × But our fascination with the West or, more precisely, with the Whites don’t end either. They have ruled us and, hence, they had to be superior in some intrinsic way. They are rich. They speak English-the ultimate mark of education. They are confident, even their women are. So, we can’t claim that it is jingoism that prompted this act of violence. People living in and around Agra meet and mix with foreigners on a daily basis. Millions of foreigners visit Agra every year. Both Fatehpur Sikri and Taj Mahal are global destinations for tourists. The white couple was subjected to violence is the news but, in reality, the aggression was in the first placed directed towards the white woman. Maybe the couples were holding hands or maybe not. Maybe they were kissing or maybe not. We may indulge ourselves, just like the cop did, in all kinds of speculations to fathom what provoked the violence. But emphasising on the gesture will miss the bigger point as to the mindset that causes the action. Even if the couple did not publicly express their affection, this violence could have taken place. My friend, another white woman from the US, during her brief research trip to Delhi, was every day subjected to sexually explicit comments, people stalked her, threw stuff in her living room etc. She almost escaped Delhi. An expert in South Asian Studies, it is sad that she is too emotionally overwhelmed to visit Delhi again. A great nation cannot be created with petty people who continue to treat women, Indian or otherwise, as objects of lust and violence. × The white people continue to be seen as the superior race; its women folks very desirable but unattainable. One doesn't need to be very smart to realise that the long history of colonial subjugation has shaped our views of the master race. But deeply entrenched within this feeling of inferiority is a perception that white women are sexually promiscuous. While Indian women are shaped by tradition to be monogamous and be under purdah, the white women, on the other hand, because of the natural ease they display in mingling with members of the opposite sex are seen as more open to sexual advances. The Swiss guy got beaten up not because he is a white or for being a foreigner but because he stood in the way of the expression of this lewd behaviour. The stereotypes that we nurture in our heads have taken a life of their own. We don’t exercise agencies over them. Instead, they have come to control our thoughts and actions. Historically speaking, the Western world for centuries have propagated such stereotypical views about the oriental men and women. They have portrayed us as virile, lazy, dishonest, passive, scheming, and our womenfolk, particularly, as baby churning machine with no sense of independence. An entire genre of postcolonial studies has cropped up critiquing the western approach. But the reverse stereotyping that we have given in to is making us an intolerant regressive society. A great nation cannot be created with petty people who continue to treat women, Indian or otherwise, as objects of lust and violence.

Attacks on Swiss couple raise questions on Indian ethics

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