The cultural identity of India is associated with its ancient and official Sanskrit name Bharat (named after Emperor Bharat). The people of India own one of the world’s oldest civilizations (Indus Valley Civilization) and rehearse the traditions, customs and celebrations precisely the same way their ancestors used to do a few thousand years ago. The traces of Indian civilization were found in the remains of 5,000-year-old urban communities of Harappa, Mohenjodaro, Mehargarh (now in Pakistan) and Lothal (India). The Eastern Uttar Pradesh region of India is dotted with some most sacred destinations belonging to Hindu and Buddhist religions. The present paper examines the perception of cultural tourists against several controllable variables, of Allahabad, Varanasi, and Kushinagar cities of Eastern Uttar Pradesh region. It concludes that despite being among the most sacred and popular cultural tourism destinations of the country, the three destinations severely suffer from a crunch of facilities and services. The destinations should be provided with adequate infrastructure to manage the huge influx of cultural tourists.

People around the world are fascinated by the rich cultural wealth and heritage of India (Singh et al., 2012). Indian civilization is believed to be over 5,000 years old. It has been enriched by consecutive migrations from other religions and geographies of the world, which were later absorbed into the Indian way of life. The cultural past of these religions is now reflected in the cultural heritage and architectural splendors of India (Bandyopadhyay et al., 2008).

Researchers around the world observed cultural activities, such as arts and heritage, as the main reasons for travel (Mitrut and Constantin, 2009; and OECD, 2009). Every year, a colossal number of individuals travel around the world to recognize, experience, and comprehend the culture of their own or of other civilizations. In India, a majority of the population still consider travel and tourism for fun, pleasure and recreation as an elite five-star activity. At the same time, travel and tourism for cultural purposes is an integral part of the Indian life. People from all the demographics often manage time and resources for cultural tourism (Mishra, 2013).

Management Research Journal, A Study of Cultural Tourists’, Perceptions of Three Sacred Destinations,