Temple tourism is emerging as a key driver of intercity travel demand in South India, according to data released by Fresh Bus, India’s electric intercity bus operator. The company reported that more than 60,000 passengers travelled on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada and Bengaluru-Tirupati routes during April and May, highlighting the growing role of pilgrimage travel in shaping regional mobility patterns.
Fresh Bus data shows that passenger volumes on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada route increased by 13.1 per cent between April-May 2024 and April-May 2025, while the Bengaluru-Tirupati corridor recorded growth of 9.7 per cent during the same period.
Based on booking trends from April 2024 to May 2026 across its user base of over six lakh passengers, the company found that pilgrimage routes are among the fastest-growing segments in South India’s intercity travel market. Demand is being driven by repeat devotees, women travellers, senior citizens and passengers from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.
Weekend travel continues to play a significant role. Nearly 46 per cent of bookings on the Bengaluru-Tirupati route are made between Friday and Sunday. Monthly passenger volumes on the corridor increased from around 6,000 tickets in April 2024 to more than 11,700 tickets by March 2026, reflecting growing demand for short-duration spiritual trips.
Fresh Bus also noted increasing demand across the Chennai-Tirupati and Vijayawada-Tirupati corridors. Combined seat capacity on Tirupati-linked routes is projected to rise from nearly two lakh seats in 2024 to more than 5.5 lakh seats by 2026.
Booking behaviour indicates a gradual shift towards advance planning. While 85.4 per cent of bookings are still made within 24 hours of departure, bookings made three to fourteen days in advance increased from 1.4 per cent in FY24 to 5.4 per cent in FY26.
The analysis also highlights rising digital adoption, with nearly 75 per cent of Tirupati corridor bookings generated through online travel platforms. Fresh Bus added 81,576 first-time passengers on Tirupati-linked routes in 2025, compared to 58,079 in 2024.
Commenting on the findings, Sudhakar Chirra, Founder & CEO, Fresh Bus, said, “Temple tourism is evolving rapidly and becoming a significant contributor to intercity travel demand across South India. We’re seeing devotees travel more frequently throughout the year, often planning short spiritual getaways around weekends rather than waiting for annual religious occasions. This shift reflects a broader change in traveller behaviour, where convenience, last mile connectivity and comfort are encouraging more people to undertake pilgrimage journeys regularly. As India’s spiritual tourism economy continues to expand, reliable and sustainable mobility solutions will play an increasingly important role in enabling these experiences.”
The company noted that destinations such as Tirupati and Tiruvannamalai continue to attract growing numbers of travellers, reflecting broader expansion in India’s spiritual tourism market and increasing demand for organised intercity mobility services.
