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Kyoto to Varanasi: Top 10 religious tourism hotspots across the world

Published on: April 03, 2025 17:57 IST
Kyoto to Varanasi: Top 10 religious tourism hotspots across the world
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Kyoto to Varanasi: Top 10 religious tourism hotspots across the world
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Kyoto, Japan, ranks 1st with a score of 100, according to a new study by My Cross. 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Mecca, Saudi Arabia, holds the 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.
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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.
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Jerusalem, Israel occupies the 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.
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Siem Reap, Cambodia, claimed 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.
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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.