Chapter 12: Digital Detox in Rishikesh: Defining Restoration and Authenticity in Spiritual Tourism

Rishikesh city, a globally renowned yoga-capital for Hinduism and yoga-related spiritual seekers in the ecologically fragile Indian Himalayan Region (IHR), has undergone a significant transformation in the last decade (2015–2025), due to the increasing influence of natural amenity-led commercial tourism and resultant digital media visibility. This chapter examines how emerging digital detox retreats in Rishikesh are responding to a ‘crisis of authenticity’ by offering technology-free, immersive spiritual experiences. Using a mixed-methods approach – combining interviews with 6 retreat owners and 40 visitors, survey data, field observations and secondary tourism reports – this study analyses 3 domains: visitor psychology, retreat typologies and local stakeholder responses. Findings indicate that digital detox retreats create an elevated grade of emotional regulation, cognitive clarity and overall visitor satisfaction within the select participants when compared to influencer-driven or hybrid retreat visitor participants. It was also observed during the research process that local businesses near the select detox spaces reported stronger engagement and return rates, indicating the potential for a more sustainable and culturally respectful tourism model in select spaces. Psychological frameworks such as attention restoration theory and cognitive load theory are applied to interpret visitor responses, while MacCannell’s staged authenticity informs the critique of influencer-led tourism. This chapter also proposes some possible policy interventions, including a Digital Detox Certification system, and behavioural nudges like lockbox systems. Supported by global case comparisons (Camino de Santiago, Kumano Kodo), the chapter situates Rishikesh’s digital detox trend as a replicable blueprint for sustainable spiritual tourism.