The Most Popular Religious Tourism Destinations Revealed
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Kyoto is the most popular religious tourism destination with 1,000 Buddhist temples attracting 75 million annual visitors.
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Social media impact varies widely, with Rio’s Christ the Redeemer generating 61 million hashtags from just 1.5 million visitors.
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Lhasa offers just 11 places to stay despite welcoming 55 million visitors annually.
A recent study by My Cross identified the most popular destinations for religious tourists by analyzing five key metrics: annual visitors, number of religious sites, online search volume, social media hashtags, and available accommodations. Each destination received a Score based on these factors, which was then normalized on a scale from 1 to 100, with 100 representing the most popular location.
Findings summed up
| Destination | Annual Visitors | Religious Sites | Accommodations | Search volume | Hashtags | Score |
| Kyoto | 75.18M | 1000 | 596 | 1.2M | 23M | 100 |
| Varanasi | 11M | 71 | 1,149 | 2.7M | 5.6M | 78 |
| Vatican City | 7M | 9 | 3,859 | 2.3M | 2.9M | 70 |
| Rio de Janeiro | 1.5M | 27 | 2,355 | 228K | 61.3M | 63 |
| Lhasa | 55.1M | 24 | 11 | 47K | 961K | 57 |
| Mecca | 18.5M | 7 | 238 | 61K | 3.2M | 51 |
| Madinah | 14.1M | 12 | 324 | 33.5K | 8.6M | 46 |
| Jerusalem | 2.5M | 120 | 272 | 101.2K | 5M | 41 |
| Siem Reap | 6M | 26 | 532 | 144.8K | 2.6M | 36 |
| Canterbury | 8.1M | 3 | 124 | 96K | 1.3M | 31 |
You can see the full research here.
Kyoto, Japan ranks 1st with a score of 100. The city attracts over 75 million annual visitors and houses the highest number of religious sites among all destinations. Kyoto’s Buddhist temples and spiritual heritage combined with 23 million hashtags make it the top religious tourism destination globally.
Varanasi, India secures 2nd place with a score of 78. While Kyoto leads in visitor numbers, Varanasi dominates with the highest online search volume with nearly 2.8 million searches. The city provides 1,149 accommodations, almost double Kyoto’s offering, despite receiving significantly fewer visitors at 11 million annually.
Vatican City, Italy ranks 3rd with a score of 70. It has only 9 religious sites, but provides 3,859 accommodations, the highest of any destination in the study. With over 2.3 million searches, this tiny state maintains global relevance as the center of Catholicism and home to St. Peter’s Basilica.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ranks 4th with a score of 63. The city has the highest social media presence with 61.3 million hashtags – almost three times Kyoto’s count. Despite having only 1.5 million annual visitors, Rio offers 2,355 accommodations, showing strong tourism infrastructure.
Lhasa, Tibet comes in 5th with a score of 57. It receives the second-highest count of annual visitors, yet offers only 11 accommodations, the lowest among all top destinations. As the spiritual center of Tibetan Buddhism, Lhasa maintains its popularity despite limited tourism infrastructure.
Mecca, Saudi Arabia holds 6th position with a score of 51. The birthplace of Muhammad draws 18.5 million annual visitors – more than Vatican City and Rio combined – despite having only 7 religious sites, the lowest among all top destinations.
Madinah, Saudi Arabia is 7th scoring 46. Though scoring similarly to its Saudi counterpart, Madinah distinguishes itself with more than double Mecca’s online presence and even surpassing Varanasi. With 14.1 million visitors annually, Madinah complements Mecca as an essential stop on the Islamic pilgrimage journey.
Jerusalem, Israel occupies 8th position with a score of 41. It features 120 religious sites – the second-highest concentration after Kyoto. Despite this wealth of religious landmarks, Jerusalem attracts only 2.5 million visitors, less than a fifth of Varanasi’s pilgrim count.
Siem Reap, Cambodia claims 9th place with 36 points. The destination draws 6 million visitors annually, focusing primarily on a single religious monument – Angkor Wat. With 532 accommodations, Siem Reap offers nearly twice as many lodging options as Mecca.
Canterbury, United Kingdom completes the top ten with 31 points. Despite having only 3 religious sites, even fewer than Vatican City, Canterbury attracts 8.1 million visitors annually – more than Jerusalem and Rio de Janeiro combined. The city represents Western Christian heritage with 124 accommodations supporting visitors to this Anglican center.
A spokesperson from My Cross commented on the study: “Religious tourism around the world shows how faith and travel are becoming more connected. Many traditional pilgrimage sites now mix spiritual meaning with modern tourism. In some popular places, there are far more visitors than places to stay, showing there’s room to grow. With careful planning, these spots could support local communities without losing their sacred feel. As religious tourism changes, the most successful destinations will be the ones that respect tradition while meeting the needs of today’s travelers.”
story credit: https://www.mycross.com/
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Author: David Keech
David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]
