ABSTRACT
Introduction This chapter explores the development of domestic tourism in India, which has been widely viewed as being on the rise in recent years. It draws upon current debates on changing Indian social structures to critically analyse the key trends in domestic tourism in India, from honeymoons to weekend breaks. Because of the recent economic growth in India, India’s middle class represents a growing consumer group that is increasingly integrating and blending more westernised lifestyles with aspects of domestic culture. The domestic tourism sector is also benefiting from newly renovated infrastructures and accommodation. Nevertheless, we argue that domestic tourism in India has been, and still remains, largely centred around issues of pilgrimage, and hence in this chapter we also explore the significance of pilgrimage in the Indian context by synthesising a range of research.
