Published Paper Details:

Religious tourism is an important and continuous segment of travel in Andhra Pradesh because it links faith, culture, local mobility, community livelihoods and public infrastructure. This study examines the socio-economic contribution of religious tourism in Andhra Pradesh with special focus on Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam, Srisailam Temple and Vijayawada Kanaka Durga Temple. A descriptive and analytical research design was adopted by using both primary and secondary data. Primary data were collected through a structured questionnaire from 174 respondents, including pilgrims, local residents and service providers. Secondary information was compiled from the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, official temple websites, tourism statistics and relevant published sources. Percentage analysis, weighted mean score, expenditure estimation, district-wise tourist visit comparison and a one-sample proportion z-test were used for interpretation. The findings show that religious tourism contributes to employment generation, local business activity, accommodation services, transport, prasadam and food services, shopping, cultural practices and infrastructure development. The primary survey indicates that 66.09 per cent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that religious tourism creates employment and income opportunities for local people. At the same time, crowding, waiting time, accommodation shortage, high prices and language-related difficulties remain major concerns. The study concludes that religious tourism can become a stronger tool of inclusive and sustainable development when temple administration, local bodies and tourism departments coordinate sanitation, digital services, skill development, crowd management and responsible destination planning.