Kerala - Kochi   

Pilgrimage tourism gains ground

With tourism taking diverse routes, tour operators are eager to utilise every opportunity available. Pilgrimage tourism has already gained popularity in the State.

One of the prominent tour operators recently organised a pilgrimage tour to various places of interest aimed at the devout traveller. Called the Holy Land Pilgrimage, the tour had the blessings of a community, which was actively involved in its promotion. The itinerary included Tel Aviv, Damascus, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Galilee, Tiberius and Nazareth.

More than 70 pilgrimage tours have been conducted so far to places of religious importance, according to a tour operator based in Kochi. This apart, travellers on a holy mission are given ample time to pray and experience the speciality of each spot, he said. The agency conducts such tours every month, as the response from Kochi has been good.

Various tour operators are offering domestic tourism packages to those who wish to visit places of worship. Such tours are held seasonally. Tours to places of pilgrim spots on the Himalayan region are taken up during suitable climatic conditions. The Sabarimala pilgrimage season will soon offer a new opportunity for the industry, which inter-State tour operators have been making the best use of in the past. But things need to be improved a lot, said Murari Mohan, president of the Hyderabad-based Ayyappa Mandali, which organises pilgrim tours to Kerala.

R. Ramabhadran Pillai

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