Factors prompting augmented reality adoption in sacred places

There is evidence that sacred places across the world are launching augmented reality (AR) applications. This application of AR is somehow prompted by the most recent Covid-19 pandemic where in-person experiences are altered by the virtual. AR, as an innovative technology, augments the physical environment with digitally generated imagery that can generate privileges for tourists in sacred places and become the reason to trigger cultural conflicts and religious controversy. This in-depth interview-based research aims to explore the tourists' views and ideas of applying AR in the Mosque City of Bagerhat of Bangladesh, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in terms of possibilities, cultural conflicts, and religious controversy. Findings show that the application of AR in a sacred place can support tourists in many useful ways, can offer them positive experiences, and help in sustainability concerns of the site. However, the application of AR in a sacred place can be an element of conflicting interests between the religious and general tourists. Adequate attention is thus required from the parties involved in terms of applying AR in the Mosque City of Bagerhat of Bangladesh, a sacred religious site.

Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage Show: Exploring the Sustainable Development of Taiwan's Religious Tourism from the Perspectives of Attraction, Happiness, and Revisit Intention

The Dajia Mazu pilgrimage is one of the most well-known events in the world. It not only satisfies tourists' spiritual desires for religious beliefs but also drives the development of destination tourism. In recent years, the tourism industry has been severely impacted by COVID-19. However, tourists participating in the Dajia Mazu pilgrimage continue to do so without fear of the pandemic. Therefore, understanding the relationship between tourists' attraction to religious tourism, perception of happiness, and willingness to revisit can contribute to the sustainable development of religious tourism, especially in the context of COVID-19. Accordingly, this study explored the sustainable development of Taiwan's religious tourism from the perspectives of tourism attraction, experiential value, happiness, and revisit intention. The study conducted quantitative research to address the research issue. Three hundred and fifty valid questionnaires were collected through on-site questionnaire distribution, and the data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and the structural equation partial least squares method. According to the results, the tourism attraction of the Dajia Mazu pilgrimage and the experiential value of tourists significantly impact happiness and revisit intention. Happiness is part of the intermediary variables of tourism attraction, experiential value, and revisit intention. Notably, the attraction of the Dajia Mazu pilgrimage and the experiential value pursued by tourists have not diminished despite the pandemic. Instead, the attraction has become an opportunity for tourists to seek spiritual comfort and support sustainable religious tourism development. Accordingly, spiritual comfort and maintaining their health and safety can be considered strategies to promote the sustainability of religious tourism in Taiwan.

Pilgrim Experience and Revisit Intention Post COVID-19: An Exploratory Study of Amarnath Holy Shrine in Jammu and Kashmir, India

The present preliminary study seeks to explore the pilgrim tourist experience and their revisit intentions post-COVID pandemic. Data were collected at the Amarnath Holy Shrine in Jammu and Kashmir, India, using a combination of primary and secondary sources, including seven in-depth semi-structured telephone interviews with pilgrims using the snowball sampling technique. Five main themes were found regarding revisiting intentions, including ease of registration, safety and security, health facilities, accommodation facilities, food and beverage services, and connectivity of the destinations. The study highlights that despite COVID-19, most respondents agree to return to visit the holy Amarnath Cave as they felt that they would not be affected by COVID-19 in the future. This research has implications for tourists' safety and security concerns at religious sites, including highlighting the need for proper infrastructure development to enhance the sustainability of religious destinations. Regarding social impacts, the local administration must make efforts to carry out the pilgrimage in a sustainable way post-COVID-19, following new procedures to ensure the safety and health of the tourist and the local community. The Shrine board and Local administration must formally implement these standards via formal Standards of Procedure (SOP). © 2022 International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage.

Changing Tourism Trends of the Benedictine Abbey in Tihany: Best Practices of a Hungarian Monastic Community

The touristic use of sacred sites is a widespread practice in Hungary. Throughout the past centuries, Christianity has dominated the history of the Carpathian Basin. The Hungarian State's strong affiliation with the Roman Catholic Church dates back to its foundation over a 1000 years ago. Due to its location on the shore of Lake Balaton and outstanding natural environment, the Benedictine Tihany Abbey is a major touristic destination and a popular place of pilgrimage in Hungary. The objective of the present paper is to examine how touristic activities contribute to the livelihood of a Hungarian monastic community and local economic development in the 21st century. To answer the research questions, the study primarily relied on literature and documentary analysis, in-depth interviews, and the construction and processing of a database. The research revealed that in addition to the classic elements (e.g., guided tours in the abbey, museum exhibitions, concerts, etc.), the program offer developed by the monastic community of Tihany is capable of addressing new target audiences: the rapidly rising number of tourists from the Far East (mainly Japan, China, South Korea, and Russia). Despite remaining considerably below visitor numbers recorded by the abbey in the mid-1990s, a significant increase in visitor numbers was observed in 2018–2019. The economic activities of the Benedictines of Tihany comprise a number of different areas beyond tourism, e.g., agricultural production and candle making, both of which are integrated into their tourism offer and feature among touristic programs. As a major employer, the abbey exerts a positive impact on the population retention capacity of the settlement by offering jobs to local residents, and it also contributes to population growth by attracting a large number of highly skilled professionals who choose to settle down in the region. The paper shows the evidence of the pandemic on pilgrimage and religious tourism in Tihany.

The personas and motivation of religious tourists and their impact on intentions to visit religious sites in Saudi Arabia

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide comprehensive, theoretical and practical knowledge that will assist decision-makers in making informed decisions when promoting several religious sites in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Specifically, this study examines the popularity of several religious sites, the personas of prospective visitors and their intentions to visit.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses several methodological approaches to fulfil its main objective, namely, Google Trends analysis, K-means cluster analysis and linear regression analysis.FindingsThe results reveal that several religious sites in the KSA are popular and have potential for further consideration by various stakeholders. In addition, four personas were identified which can aid decision-makers and marketing practitioners in designing suitable plans for prospective visitors based on the participants' motivation and demographics. Furthermore, a significant association was observed among three motivational variables (self-esteem, relationship and physiological needs) and the participants' intentions to visit.Originality/valueThis study makes an original contribution to the literature, as it examines several religious sites in Saudi Arabia in addition to the sites that are part of the practices of Hajj and Umrah. Furthermore, this study provides comprehensive knowledge in this area to assist both future researchers and practitioners.

Acceptance of new travel norms among potential Umrah and Hajj pilgrims: an empirical investigation

This paper investigates how Umrah and Hajj travellers' needs and wants are influenced by their acceptance (behaviour) of new norms practices (social distancing, hygiene standards, wearing face masks) in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The cross-sectional survey utilises the purposive sampling method with 216 respondents. Partial-least Square-Structural Equation Modelling (PLSSEM) was used to confirm the study model and test the hypotheses. Additionally, this study validates the role of age in influencing the new norms of travel behaviour through the PLS-SEM multi-group analysis (MGA). Path Analysis results revealed that psychological needs, safety needs and selfactualisation influence the new norms of travel behaviour. However, self-esteem and belonging needs insignificantly affect their new norms of travel behaviour. Based on the MGA, this study confirms that age / generation plays a significant role in the new travel behaviour practices. This study contributes to the literature on religious tourism and the necessary new norms and changes explicitly relating to Umrah and Hajj travel through the lens of Maslow's theory of hierarchical needs. The study also contributes to a better understanding of tourists' post-pandemic needs and motivational facets, which helps redesign religious travel experiences.

Pilgrim experience and revisit intention post COVID-19: an exploratory study of amarnath holy shrine in Jammu and Kashmir, India

The present preliminary study seeks to explore the pilgrim tourist experience and their revisit intentions post-COVID pandemic. Data were collected at the Amarnath Holy Shrine in Jammu and Kashmir, India, using a combination of primary and secondary sources, including seven in-depth semi-structured telephone interviews with pilgrims using the snowball sampling technique. Five main themes were found regarding revisiting intentions, including ease of registration, safety and security, health facilities, accommodation facilities, food and beverage services, and connectivity of the destinations. The study highlights that despite COVID-19, most respondents agree to return to visit the holy Amarnath Cave as they felt that they would not be affected by COVID-19 in the future. This research has implications for tourists' safety and security concerns at religious sites, including highlighting the need for proper infrastructure development to enhance the sustainability of religious destinations. Regarding social impacts, the local administration must make efforts to carry out the pilgrimage in a sustainable way post-COVID-19, following new procedures to ensure the safety and health of the tourist and the local community. The Shrine board and Local administration must formally implement these standards via formal Standards of Procedure (SOP).

Place Attachment and Destination Loyalty of Religious Tourists in Chiang Mai, Thailand: Examining the Role of Emotional Solidarity and Risk Perception

Chiang Mai is the most popular destination in Thailand for religious tourism. Religious tourism refers to contemporary travel to religion-themed tourist destinations for religious and/or recreational purposes. The growth of religious tourism is inextricably linked with the worldwide increase in spiritual searching by individuals of all ages, cultures, and religions. Religious destinations are places of development, commitment, and vitality;however, they often attract attention owing to their emotional significance. This research performs partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) as a quantitative method to investigate the destination loyalty of tourists through their emotional connection with a place, emotional solidarity with the locals, and risk perception. Data was collected from 543 Thai tourists who have visited temples in Chiang Mai. Results indicate that place attachment has a direct influence on tourists' emotional solidarity. In addition, the emotional solidarity of the tourists with the locals is a significant predictor of their destination loyalty. Furthermore, this research finds that the emotional solidarity of the tourists mediates the relationship between their place attachment and destination loyalty. Moreover, the risk perception of the tourists during the COVID-19 pandemic suggests that the moderating effect of their emotional solidarity and destination loyalty is insignificant. Finally, the implications of the findings recommend that religious destinations should organize local religious events and promote them to tourists. Establishing a sense of solidarity among tourists, religious destinations, and nearby communities, would strengthen destination loyalty among tourists. © 2022, Thammasat University. All rights reserved.

Data mining to reposition a religious tourist destination in COVID-19

PurposeThe positioning of a tourism destination can easily change due to external uncontrolled factors, such as a pandemic. In this scene, the purpose of this study can be summerized in two main points: to investigate the main topics associated with a religious tourism destination (Vatican City) before and from the pandemic crisis, and to identify potential topics that could be highlighted to reposition this tourism destination more favorably. Design/methodology/approachThe information was extracted from Trip Advisor, specifically from the web Vatican City (7,152 reviews). This information was analyzed using text mining software applied to English text data. FindingsThe results show that the image of Vatican City has evolved, from a larger cultural, artistic and historical destination to a destination with a strong religious orientation, probably due to the growing influence of tourists and pilgrims in search of spiritual consolation in a global health crisis. New comments have emerged in the pandemic on topics such as Pope, Catholicism and love. Practical implicationsThe authors recommend repositioning this tourism destination under what they have dubbed the umbrella of the three "Rs": religion, renaissance and relaxation. Also, two outstanding attractions are frequently mentioned by tourists in this more spiritual scenario: Saint Peter's Basilica and Sistine Chapel. Originality/valueStudies about religious tourism are scarce, and those considering an urban city as a key religious tourism destination even more.

Islamic Tourism in Africa

The research aims to assess the prospects for the development of Islamic tourism in Africa. The authors analyze the notion and features of Islamic tourism and identify key differences between “Islamic tourism” and “Halal tourism.” The authors define “Islamic tourism” as a type of tourism that includes travels for any purpose under Islamic principles. The research mainly covers the development of Islamic tourism in African countries. For this purpose, it analyzes the tourist flows’ trends and the leading African touristic destinations, identifies the main Halal-friendly African destinations. The leading states here are Morocco, Egypt, and South Africa;Tunisia fosters its potential for Islamic medical tourism;Senegal and Mali are attractive due to Islamic heritage sites. The main problems for the development of Islamic tourism in Africa have also been identified: underdeveloped tourist and Halal infrastructure, lack of security, and poor promotion of tourist services among potential tourists are among the most significant ones. The study has found that popular Halal destinations are countries with a predominantly Muslim population and states where Muslims are a minority. Despite the restrictions followed by COVID-19 and a significant decrease in the tourism sector, a return to the previous volumes of tourist flows and income is expected in 2023. The World Tourism Organization actively supports the recovery and development of tourism in African countries. The improvement of Halal infrastructure and new facilities for this type of tourism will contribute to an overall increase in income from tourism activities and the popularization of Islamic tourism. © 2022, MGIMO Universty Press. All rights reserved.

The Role of the Way of St James in Local Development. A Case Study in Palencia.

The 'French' Way of St James crosses the province of Palencia. In the municipalities along the track the trajectory is a development resource after the 2008 financial crisis and the celebration of the Holy Year in 2010. This paper describes and analyses the socioeconomic impact along the route during the second decade of this century. The study is based on primary and secondary sources, including fieldwork. Basic data are mapped. The wealth generated by the Palencia track because of pilgrim and tourist spending has not been able to revert the ageing and loss of population. Despite the celebration of the 2021/2022 Holy Year the paralysis caused by the covid-19 pandemic has reduced the capacity of the local tourism industry. (English) [ FROM AUTHOR] El Camino de Santiago Francés, a su paso por la provincia de Palencia, constituye un renovado recurso para el desarrollo local de los municipios inmersos en el itinerario tras la crisis financiera del 2008 y la celebración del Año Santo Jacobeo en 2010. A partir de estos antecedentes, el objetivo del artículo pretende analizar y comprobar cómo ha repercutido el Camino en los aspectos socioeconómicos por el territorio que atraviesa en la segunda década del nuevo milenio. La metodología utilizada se ha basado en la obtención de datos de fuentes primarias y secundarias, el trabajo de campo y la representación cartográfica de los indicadores temáticos a lo largo del sendero jacobeo. El Camino, en el tramo palentino, contribuye a la generación de riqueza local por el gasto de los peregrinos y de los turistas pero no de forma suficiente para frenar la pérdida de población y combatir el elevado grado de envejecimiento. De cara al futuro inmediato, tras la parálisis provocada en el Camino por la pandemia de la Covid-19 se abre un periodo de incertidumbre que repercutirá de forma negativa en el tejido de la oferta turística a pesar de la celebración del Año Santo Jacobeo 2021/2022. (Spanish) [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Investigaciones Geograficas is the property of Universidad de Alicante, Instituto Universitario de Geografia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

The Economic Impact of COVID-19 on Religious Tourism to the Kartarpur Corridor

The aim of this paper is to analyse the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on religious tourism in the Kartarpur Gurdwara Corridor between the Punjab States of Pakistan and India. The corridor was opened as a peace building initiative 72 years after the partition of India-Pakistan. In November 2019, thousands of Sikh pilgrims visited Kartarpur and Nankana Sahib in Punjab to celebrate the 550th birth anniversary of the founder of the Sikh religion Guru Nanakji, where he spent last 19 years of his life. The Government of Pakistan invested heavily to build the infrastructure facilities for connecting both borders for religious tourism. The two phases of development of Kartarpur created economic opportunities for the growth of bilateral trade, religious tourism, diplomacy, and peaceful relationships. However, the COVID-19 based travel lockdown caused devastating economic impacts on the Kartarpur religious tourism site and related businesses just four months after its opening. This paper highlights the importance of Kartarpur religious tourism and the devastating economic impact from COVID-19 on the niche spiritual tourism-based economy, employment, marketing, and peace associated with Kartarpur. Qualitative content analysis was adopted using quotes from internet sources to reach findings. Some opportunities are highlighted for a better understanding of global health issues, unified efforts to fight the pandemic and mutual support for spiritual tourism development among Indians and Pakistanis. Policy implications suggest that post-COVID-19, public-private partnership is needed to cooperatively plan, develop, and promote religious tourism, build awareness, and cooperate for common resource management for economic benefits. COVID-19 could be a cooperative stimulus for peaceful change through bilateral trade, travel, and tourism plans, based on responsible cross-border tourism for India and Pakistan;to create a mutually beneficial South-Asian economic success story. © 2022 Dublin Institute of Technology. All rights reserved.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on religious tourism amongst Muslims in Iraq

Tourism, as an industry, has become one of the most dynamic sectors of the world economy these days and has specific features that are different from other industries. In the tourism industry, production and consumption points occur spatially at the same time. In addition, the tourism industry contributes to the economic growth of developed regions and can simultaneously distribute the wealth created geographically. It is notable that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused many challenges in the tourism industry regarding the presence of tourists in tourism centres and the closing of all tourism service chains, including food, entertainment, transportation and travel services worldwide. Tourism-related businesses, which are considered as invisible export and one of the engines of development and occupation, have been rendered obsolete. In other words, the businesses, as well as multiple units and activities in the related chain, have been damaged and employees of this industry have lost their jobs. This has led to the recession and regressive course of the developing and large industry of tourism in the world. It is worth noting that the tourism industry includes various sections, the most important of which is religious tourism. All religions in the world have different religious places, works, traditions and customs, which have become amongst the most important tourist attractions. Meanwhile, Muslims and the religion of Islam play a significant role in this branch of tourism. The Hajj, pilgrimage to holy places and the existence of mourning ceremonies or religious celebrations of Muslims are amongst the largest religious tourism events in the world. Given the importance of this issue, the present study aimed to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on religious tourism in Iraq in 2021. This field study was conducted on 4500 Muslim managers and staff of restaurants, hotels, grocery stores, clothing stores and souvenir shops around the holy shrines of imams and religious places in Karbala, Najaf, Kufa, Samarra and Kazemi. According to the results, the tourism of Iraq, which is mainly limited to Muslim religious sites in several major Iraqi cities, has also seen a decline in the number of religious tourists. The negative effects of COVID-19 on religious tourism have also been proved statistically by the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), as µ ≥ 3 has been counted in all indices. Contribution: Our findings offered new insights into the impact of COVID-19 on tourism, based on statistical analysis. In this study, the authors showed how COVID-19 affects various aspects of religious tourism, which has not been addressed in previous researches. © 2022. The Authors.

Impact of digital media on religious tourism: exploratory beginning for post-coronavirus research

An inductive mixed-method research design was applied to explore how digital media impacted tourism, in particular, religious journeys by Christians and Muslims to a special physical destination during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Rhetorical data were reviewed to analyse the key factors impacting digital religious tourism. Several theories were uncovered to explain the impact of digital media on religious tourism. A theoretical framework was developed for future research based on the best-fitting conceptual model. The results indicated that religious tourism is mostly being impacted by smartphone Wi-Fi connectivity within protected zones like Mecca, and by cellular internet access along the journey through rural areas. This exploratory study will inspire new empirical research.

The Effect of COVID-19 on Independent African Churches (IACs) in Johannesburg, South Africa

This paper explores the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the religious tourism activities of the four most prominent Independent Apostolic Churches (IAC) operating in Johannesburg, South Africa. This is an interpretive qualitative research study based on data from 15 telephone-based semi-structured interviews with congregants and church leaders of the Zion Christian Church, Zimbabwe (ZCC Mutendi), The Apostolic Church of Johane Marange, The Apostolic Church of Johane Masowe and Apostolic Faith Church, Mugodhi. Thematic content analysis was used for data analysis. The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the religious tourism activities of all four IACs in the study as they accepted and implemented various aspects of the lockdown regulations. The cancellation of their main annual events and weekly and monthly activities combined with a considerable reduction in contribution from their members resulted in churches’ inability to finance their main activities, i.e. their healing camps. It is evident that the ripple effects of reduced IAC activities in and around Johannesburg has negatively affected the city’s income from churches’ religious tourism activities. This is the first study to explore the activities of IACs in Johannesburg (and Africa) before and during the pandemic, pointing to churches’ significant contribution to religious tourism in the city. © International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Recovery Strategies to Sustain Religious Tourism Post-COVID-19: Evidence from Iran

Religious tourism, as one of the most significant types of tourism, is among the most seriously affected economic sectors worldwide as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This study sought to identify and prioritise the strategies for sustaining post-COVID-19 religious tourism. The study was an applied survey that drew on a mixed research design. The results of the qualitative data analysis obtained through a systematic literature review revealed that the recovery strategies to boost businesses in the field of religious tourism in the post-COVID-19 future could be divided into four main strategies (dimensions) and 24 sub-strategies (criteria). Furthermore, the quantitative analysis, conducted through the R-SWARA technique, showed that ‘making it mandatory to maintain a distance from sacred monuments (e.g., tombs) and prohibiting touching or having any physical contact with such monuments’, ‘Understanding religious tourists’ health-related expectations’, ‘making it mandatory to use masks and other health-related equipment in sacred/ religious locations’, and ‘reducing the capacity for welcoming tourists in sacred and tourism sites while holding religious ceremonies with a small number of attendants’ were the most significant strategies that could boost religious tourism post-COVID-19. These factors were prioritised by experts and activists in the industry who shared their opinions in this study. © International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The Impact of COVID-19 on Temple Stays: A Case Study from Koyasan, Japan

The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic had a dramatic impact on worldwide religious tourism, with wide repercussions for both visitors and local stakeholders. However, previous studies on disaster management and tourism do not address the impacts on religious destinations. The viewpoints and experiences of religious stakeholders are seldom studied. Therefore, using a qualitative approach, this research aims to examine the impact of COVID-19 on temple stays by utilising Faulkner’s tourism disaster management framework. The case study of the Buddhist complex of Kōyasan (Wakayama Prefecture, Japan) is taken, where 52 temples offer temple stay services. Two rounds of semi-structured interviews were first carried out with the main local tourism stakeholders. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with Buddhist temples to assess the COVID-19 impacts and the posterior countermeasures taken. Results show that temple stays were negatively affected, losing an important number of visitors since March 2020. In particular, inbound tourism was largely affected, leading to a renewed importance of the domestic market. Novel approaches to funding, teleworking and wellness were reported, as stakeholders explored new avenues towards a post-pandemic scenario. The utilisation of virtual alternatives to physical travel were observed but in a limited form. Also, collaborative networks between lay and religious stakeholders proved to be a vital factor for carrying out disaster management measures and later, tourism initiatives. In particular, the existence of international religious networking for carrying out disaster relief was noted. © International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Wellness travel motivations in the wake of COVID-19

COVID-19 pandemic has placed human health under unprecedented issues since its outbreak in 2019. During COVID-19, people were restricted to one place, which caused many psychological and other health-related concerns among them. Hence, this study aims to understand wellness tourists' key wellness travel motivations in Rishikesh, India, during the COVID-19 lock-down period and post-pandemic. To conduct this quantitative research work, data were collected through a structured questionnaire from 232 domestic wellness tourists. Exploratory factor analysis was used for the factorial structure of the observed variables, and multiple regression analysis was used to test the study hypotheses. The study establishes an understanding that Rishikesh offers an anticipated atmosphere to wellness tourists from rejuvenation to d-stress to detoxification and body fitness even in a COVID-19 type crisis. Though India is getting momentum in wellness tourism, its infrastructure and professionalism need improvement to maintain the faith of wellness tourists in the destination image.

Local peoples' perspectives on religious tourism: a research in Demre district of Antalya

Like other industries, tourism and travel industry has been affected too much from global COVID-19 pandemic. The negative effects of pandemic can be easily seen in all tourism types starting from 3S (sea, sand, sun) tourism to religious tourism. According to World Religious Travel Association (WRTA) around 300 million tourists move internationally in religious tourism market. This study aimed to determine the perspectives of the local people living in Demre on religious tourism and to find out whether the local people living in the district were aware of the potential of religious tourism in the district. It also aimed to reveal whether there was a difference between the demographic characteristics of the local people and their perspectives on religious tourism. As a result of the logistic regression analysis conducted within the scope of the research, it was observed that people with high income levels and those working as managers had a low perspective on religious tourism.

Analysing the differential performances of Indian states in the tourism sector : (1947-early 2020). (Special Issue: The impact of COVID-19 on global tourism.)

Tourism is an ever evolving and a dynamic industry which can play a crucial role in increasing income and in providing employment opportunities in an economy. India especially with its rich heritage, culture and geographical landscapes has always had immense potential to become a leading tourist destination. Presently the major types of tourism prevalent in India are Medical Tourism, Rural/Natural Tourism, Religious Tourism and Historical& Educational Tourism. In 2018-19, the tourism sector contributed around 5% to India's GDP. However with the health shock of Covid-19, the tourism sector has taken a major hit since early 2020, with several people losing their jobs in the tourism and hospitality sector when different states imposed lockdowns and took various measures to curb the pandemic. As restrictions in each state eased during the first wave of the pandemic, different states in India adopted various policies to revive the tourism industry. But to understand the effectiveness of these policies in each state/UT, one needs to investigate the baseline at which the Tourism industry was before the pandemic hit the country. This paper attempts to look at the differential performances of states and UTs of India in tourism by categorizing them into various types of tourism between 1947 until March 2020. This paper aims to act as a base for further analysing the impact of this pandemic on Tourism across states in India.