Digital Commons Network^™

Roles Of Religious Guides In Tourism: A Qualitative Study From Japan, Ricardo Nicolas Progano

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage travel has become an important element in contemporary tourism, as visitors flock to sacred locations (UNWTO, 2015). However, some aspects of pilgrimage travel remain relatively understudied, with one of them being the roles of guides in these locations. Based on previous academic works, the present study aims to bridge this gap by analysing the role of religious figures who engage in guiding activities aimed at the general public. For this, Shippōryū-ji, a Shugendō temple located in Japan, is presented as the case study. As previous research on the subject is scarce, a qualitative approach was deemed suitable. Utilising interview …

Salvation In A Palace: Luxurious Representation Of Political Spirituality In Iran, Zahra Khoshk Jan

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The present study tries to answer this question: Why is the mausoleum of Imam Reza (a holy saint shrine) one of the most luxurious and expensive buildings in the world? By staying in Mashhad as a pilgrim, the researcher conducted 45 participatory and semi-structured interviews with pilgrims in two consecutive stages. For analysing the collected data, a qualitative research method was used based on Constructing Grounded Theory. The concept of ‘the politics of constructing spirituality’ as the core category referred to the fact that the main reasons for the luxury and magnificence of Imam Reza’s mausoleum in Iran, are as …

Redefining The Dimensions Of Spirituality And Pilgrimage In Religious Tourism: Iranian Pilgrimage Cities, Asghar Molaei

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage is one of the ways to acquire spirituality in the Shiite sect, and the shrines of the Imams are places of pilgrimage full of spirituality. Spirituality in Islam is one of the mental states of human beings, which has a high position in perfection from Shiite thought. Pilgrimage, as an Islamic custom and ethical practice, through the pattern of pilgrimage in religious, devotional, and prayer spaces can create spirituality for pilgrims. In line with the principles of praying and celebrating the rituals of God, the holy shrines of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS) are important centres of interest in Iranian …

Contemporary Trends In The Theological Understanding Of Christian Pilgrimage, Piotr Roszak

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This paper analyses the historical changes that have taken place in the Christian theology of pilgrimage from Patristics to the present time. Against that background, it identifies the core parameters of the theological debate on pilgrimage, including its foundation in the truths of the faith and its key dimensions. In view of attempts to reduce the essence of pilgrimage to phenomenological descriptions in contemporary analyses, the author proposes to take advantage of the explicatory potential of hylomorphism as a theory that differentiates between matter and form. When applied to pilgrimage, hylomorphism makes it possible to integrate theological perspectives with the …

Exploring The Experiences Of Women On Muslim Pilgrimage: A Study Of Hazaratbal Shrine In Kashmir, Ab Qayoom Shah, Professor Aneesa Shafi

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The aim of this study is to explore the experiences of women at Hazaratbal shrine in Kashmir also known as Madinut-ul-Sani (second Madina). In spite of growing interest of scholars in sacred tourism research, little efforts are made to examine female perception of holy shrine experiences. The authors collected data through interviews and participant observation of female pilgrims/visitors, at the shrine. The theoretical base of the study is the phenomenological work of Schultz. After the completion of analysis, five main categories of perceptions appeared which attract women visitors to Hazaratbal shrine namely prayer and worship, thanksgiving, healing, learning and heritage.

Acceptance Of New Travel Norms Among Potential Umrah And Hajj Pilgrims: An Empirical Investigation, Siti Sara Ibrahim, Mohd Hafiz Hanafiah, Muhammad Azlan Shah Badar

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This paper investigates how Umrah and Hajj travellers’ needs and wants are influenced by their acceptance (behaviour) of new norms practices (social distancing, hygiene standards, wearing face masks) in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The cross-sectional survey utilises the purposive sampling method with 216 respondents. Partial-least Square-Structural Equation Modelling (PLSSEM) was used to confirm the study model and test the hypotheses. Additionally, this study validates the role of age in influencing the new norms of travel behaviour through the PLS-SEM multi-group analysis (MGA). Path Analysis results revealed that psychological needs, safety needs and selfactualisation influence the new norms of …

Exploring The Concept Of Muslim Friendly Tourism, Aini Khalida Muslim, Amran Harun

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Most researchers face problems investigating Muslim-friendly destinations when they become confused with overlapping terms that seem to convey the same concepts, such as Islamic Tourism, Halal Tourism, and Muslim Friendly Tourism. This study discusses the concepts, purpose, target customers, destinations, products, and services to fill the gap in understanding the differences between the three terms from the perspective of Muslim and non-Muslim tourists. This study also applies a systematic literature review (SLR) method to filter and locate papers related to Muslim Friendly Tourism from 2015 to 2020. The analysis is based on the year the article was published, the publisher’s …

Covid-19 And The Holy Land Of Lalibela World Heritage Site, Ethiopia, Dagnachew Nega, Balew Baye, Amare Kindu

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Ethiopia is the home of many tourist sites. Among these is Lalibela, one of the most famous and most visited World Heritage Sites. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism industry was severely affected. Thus, the main objective of the study is to investigate the impacts and solutions for the prevalence of COVID-19 at the holy land of Lalibela, the World Heritage Site. The study followed descriptive research design. The target population of the study were the local communities, religious fathers, local tourist guides, culture and tourism experts and hotel workers. The research was conducted through non-probability sampling techniques. …

Tourism And Crisis: Comparing The Impacts Of Covid-19 And Natural Disasters On The Hajj And Umrah Industry, Udin Supriadi Dr, Mohammad Rindu Fajar Islamy Mr, Ahmad Fuadin Mr, Muhammad A. Rahkman Mr

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This study aims to compare the impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic and Natural Disasters on the Hajj and Umrah industries. This pilgrimage substantially contributes to foreign exchange earnings; therefore, the negative potential caused by disasters must be a significant concern for policymakers in this sector. In recent years, religious-based tourism, especially the hajj and umrah (the out-of-season pilgrimage to Mecca), has experienced significant rise of demand worldwide. To explore the impact of various disasters on this industry, using the purposive sampling method, semi-structured interviews were conducted with travel agents in Bandung over the course of two months. The findings from …

Residents’ Perceptions Of Religious Tourism And Its Socio- Economic Impacts On Host Communities: A Study Of Redemption Camp, Mowe, Ogun State, Nigeria, Titilayo Olufunke Olukole

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Religious tourism has been identified as one of the major tourism types with impacts on the sociocultural and economic life of the host community. Nigeria is well-known globally for high levels of Christian religious activities attracting worshippers from different countries. However, little is documented on the socio-economic impacts of the religious tourist flow to Christian religious sites on host communities in Nigeria. This paper was designed to investigate the socio-economic impact of Christian religious tourism on host communities, using the Redemption Camp, RCCG and Mowe Community, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State, Nigeria as a case study. Both quantitative and qualitative research …

Young Turkish Tourists’ Religious Tourism Motivations, Perceptions And Intentions About A Religious Destination: The Case Of Konya, Turkey, Yasin Bilim, Sadık Ay

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Young tourists represent over 20% of the tourism market and are an important element in current tourism activities. Cultural tourism, encompassing religious tourism, has increased in recent times, however, young tourists exhibit less preference for religious destinations, particularly within their own religions, compared to other options. Their preferences generally lean towards non-spiritual or secular motivations rather than religious based travel motivations. Within this context, this study aims to determine religious tourism motivations, perceptions and related behaviours of young tourists by evaluating their preferences and consumption patterns at religious sites. The study is undertaken on the basis of secondary research supported …

Cultural Tourism, Religion And Religious Heritage In Castile And León, Spain, Miguel González-González, Óscar Fernández-Álvarez

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Tourism is a driving force of the economy for many countries around the world. The large number of architectural and intangible World Heritage Sites have consolidated those countries in their strong positions as cultural tourism destinations. Within cultural tourism, religious tourism is particularly prominent. This work focuses on Spain and specifically on some of its regions which lack beaches but possess a wealth of religious cultural heritage, such as Castile and León, which have viewed such heritage as an asset to attract a different kind of tourist. The objectives of this study are to highlight the value of religious heritage …

The Effect Of Covid-19 On Independent African Churches (Iacs) In Johannesburg, South Africa, Constance Nyika, Milena Ivanovic, Kevin A. Griffin

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This paper explores the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the religious tourism activities of the four most prominent Independent Apostolic Churches (IAC) operating in Johannesburg, South Africa. This is an interpretive qualitative research study based on data from 15 telephone-based semi-structured interviews with congregants and church leaders of the Zion Christian Church, Zimbabwe (ZCC Mutendi), The Apostolic Church of Johane Marange, The Apostolic Church of Johane Masowe and Apostolic Faith Church, Mugodhi. Thematic content analysis was used for data analysis.

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the religious tourism activities of all four IACs in the study as they …

Developing Halal Tourism: The Case Of Bongo Village, Gorontalo, Indonesia, Ahmad Izudin, Sriharini Sriharini, Latifhul Khuluq

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Religious tourism is one of the oldest forms of tourism in Indonesia’s Gorontalo Province, which is rapidly growing to be a halal tourism destination. Such a tourism concept has created new products in the industry. However, limited research has curtailed the potential of religious tourism in Gorontalo. As a contribution to the research on religious tourism, this paper explores of religious tourism as a new method to develop Indonesia’s tourism industry. The study uses qualitative methods to review the potential of religious tourism in Gorontalo. The case study was undertaken with in-depth interviews, documentation, and observation to examine the benefits …

Religious Servicescape: Does Convenience Matter For Revisit Intentions And Positive Word Of Mouth?, Ghada Talat Alhothali, Islam Elgammal, Felix T. Mavondo

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Umrah is an optional holy ritual that is highly rewarded when performed in the month of Ramadan. Hence, managing such an event is a challenging mission facing stakeholders. However, limited studies have examined the quality of services provided in the Umrah site (i.e., the Holy Mosque in the city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia) from the pilgrims’ perspective. The current study examines the influence of religious servicescape on service convenience and investigates whether service convenience matters to pilgrims. Further, the study tests the role of religious attractiveness (i.e., of the Kaaba) on pilgrims’ behavioural outcomes (i.e. intention to revisit and Positive …

Pilgering Researchers Or Researching Pilgrims: Experiences From Four Student Projects On The Camino De Santiago 2016-2019, Andreas Braun

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Between 2016 and 2019, I accompanied four student groups on the Camino de Santiago - however the planned 2020 project was cancelled due to the coronavirus epidemic. In this article, I describe the project, its planning, its implementation, and its conclusion, as well as some experiences and impressions of the participating students on the basis of an ethnographical approach. The projects presented have two objectives: on the one hand, to teach the students qualitative and quantitative research methods in a delimited, protected environment, and on the other hand, to introduce the students to the fascination of pilgrimage and the Camino …

Assessing The Development Of The Portuguese Way To Santiago In Times Of Pandemic, Vitor Ambrósio, Carlos Fernandes

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The aim of this study is to explore a holistic approach to assessing the level of development of a pilgrimage route using a model proposed by Ambrosio et al. (2019). In accordance with this model, a diagnosis matrix structures the surveying of predefined variables and enables the evaluation of pilgrimage routes. This tool allows an understanding of both, material and immaterial elements that comprise part of pilgrimage experiences, and of the respective routes as tourism products. The study takes as reference two Municipalities along the Portuguese Way to Santiago—one in the South, Vila Franca de Xira, and another in the …

The Camino De Santiago In Late Modernity: Examining Transformative Aftereffects Of The Pilgrimage Experience, Snežana Brumec

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Based on a content analysis of 32 pilgrim travelogues it was assumed that certain values resulting from the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage would tend to be persistent, and these rather meaningful and memorable experiences may result in changes to a pilgrim’s personal hierarchy of values. To explore these assumed transformative aftereffects an online survey (n = 500) was carried out to examine self-reported value changes using the Short Schwartz’s Value Survey. The greatest increase post pilgrimage showed the importance of values that emphasise concern for the welfare and interests of others (universalism, benevolence). The only and quite substantial decreases we …

Non-Dual Experiences For The Dual Pilgrim: From The Spanish Way Of Saint James To The Japanese Kumano Kodo, Fernando Echarri

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The twinning of Sacred Paths is a new experience because of the possible synergy it creates. This article studies the twinning of the Way of Saint James in Spain with the Japanese Kumano Kodo. This twinning unites the pilgrimages, unites spirituality, unites nature, unites creation, unites culture, but in totally different contexts. From Western Christian culture we pass to Eastern Buddhist-Shintoist culture. The pilgrim acquires significant life experiences, Non-Dual experiences on both routes and is transformed, and thus accredited, as a dual pilgrim. Different spheres of the person will be affected: the perceptual sphere, emotional sphere, cognitive sphere, social, relational, …

Walking On The Camino Paths: A Spiritual And Biopsychosocial Journey, Ofra Walter

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The Camino de Santiago is an ancient network of pilgrimage routes that lead to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. This qualitative study was conducted to explore contemporary pilgrims’ experiences on the route. I walked the route for 14 days, interviewing other pilgrims about their reasons for taking the journey and their experiences while on it. The methodology thus involved gaining wisdom on two levels: the researcher’s level and the participants’ level. Nineteen people from various counties and of different ages consented to an interview. The participants expressed an interesting mix of biopsychosocial experiences. They mentioned self contemplation and spiritual experiences. …

Dimensions Of The Saint James’ Way Pilgrimage: Portuguese Socioeconomic Impacts, Vítor João Pereira Domingues Martinho Prof.

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

These days pilgrimage is seen as something that has more than a religious dimension. In fact, pilgrimage also currently links with cultural, environmental and tourist domains. As a consequence, the positive socioeconomic effects from the pilgrimage are relevant for the local communities which are visited along the routes travelled by pilgrims. In this way, the aim of this paper is to firstly analyse the context of the Way of St. James’ pilgrimage, in general, and subsequently the socioeconomic dimensions of the pilgrimage within the specific Portuguese framework. Data from the ‘Oficina del Peregrino’, Eurostat and Statistics Portugal were all taken …

Manifestations Of Religious Freedom In The Context Of The Camino De Santiago, Berenika Seryczyńska

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This study analyses the positive manifestations of religious freedom among pilgrims on the Way of St James (Camino de Santiago, Spain), a pilgrimage way that pilgrims have followed to the tomb of St James the Apostle in Spanish Galicia, since the Middle Ages. The purpose of this study is to present the manifestations of religious freedom in the experience of Polish pilgrims on the Way of Saint James on the basis of in-depth interviews conducted in the summer of 2019 in Santiago de Compostela (n=50).