The US-based hotel group Hyatt Hotels Corporation is making a major push into India’s high-value travel segments by targeting the booming destination-wedding and pilgrimage tourism markets.

It plans to double its property count in the country within five years, leveraging the growth of India’s hospitality sector, especially in the luxury and lifestyle categories.

Strong growth in India’s weddings and religious tourism market

India’s wedding industry is already reported to be worth tens of billions of US dollars, propelled by a rising middle class, increased spending on luxury experiences and the preference for destination weddings.

Pilgrimage and spiritual tourism, too, are emerging as key growth drivers. A report by consultancy KPMG and others highlights improved connectivity, richer experiences and a rise in domestic travellers seeking faith-based travel as prominent trends.

Hyatt is citing this backdrop as the context for its expansion strategy. It currently operates around 50 hotels in India and is planning to add a further 50, including six new openings this year in cities such as Kochi and Jaipur.

The Indian tourism sector is expected to grow to approximately US $131 billion by 2030, driven in part by weddings, wellness, pilgrimage and domestic travel.

Hyatt’s India expansion: strategy and implications

Hyatt’s growth plan in India reflects its asset-light model, in which it supports hotel owners in operations rather than investing heavily in physical build-out.

The firm is already increasing its footprint in both established urban markets and less-penetrated leisure and faith-destination cities. For example, some of its next properties will be in pilgrimage-heavy or upcoming leisure locations.

By focusing on weddings and religious tourism, Hyatt is betting on high-spend segments. Hyatt executives note that destination weddings in India tend to involve premium expenditure—while religious travel also draws large domestic volumes.

That strategy responds both to improved air and road connectivity across India and to the rise of domestic tourism: as many as 80 % of new demand is estimated to come from Indian travellers seeking premium stays in emerging destinations.

Challenges and outlook for India’s resort, wedding and pilgrimage hospitality market

While Hyatt’s ambitions align with macro trends, challenges remain for the hospitality and travel market in India.

For one, the hotel market’s growth rate is forecast at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 9.4 % from 2024-2030, from US $38.4 billion in 2023 to roughly US $72 billion by 2030.

Infrastructure upgrades, regulatory clearances and land costs are frequently cited as constraints.

On the other hand, pilgrimage tourism is gaining further momentum: a recent report found accommodation bookings at 56 pilgrimage destinations increased by 19 % in the financial year 2024-25, showing that faith-based travel is becoming one of India’s fastest-growing tourism segments.

For Hyatt, the success of this strategy will depend on how well it can capture demand in niche areas like destination weddings and pilgrimage travel, while navigating local cost dynamics and differentiating in a crowded upscale-hotel marketplace.

The firm’s target of reaching approximately 100 hotels in India by 2030 sets a high bar.

Ultimately, Hyatt’s focus on India’s weddings and religious tourism reflects broader shifts in travel preferences and India’s evolving hospitality landscape.

Its performance in the coming years will serve as a useful barometer of how global hotel chains adapt to high-growth segments in emerging markets.