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Mapping Of Religious Tourism And Pilgrimage Market: Study Of Selected Religious Locations In Goa, Parth Ravindra Rahalkar, Subhash Kizhakanveatil Bhaskaran Pillai, Indrawati Indrawati

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This paper seeks to answers two basic research questions, firstly, how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted people with respect to religious tourism and pilgrimage, and secondly how the untapped potential for religious tourism and pilgrimage can be utilised in the future. Nine religious sites in Goa, India were selected purposively so a route map can be developed which becomes easy for making a one-day trip from North to South Goa and vice versa. These sites were assessed to identify the status of the five destination attributes. From each of these nine locations, four respondents were identified purposively [a resident, a visitor, …

Editorial: The 2nd Asia Pacific International Religious Tourism And Pilgrimage Conference (Apirtp), Darius Liutikas, Imam Wahyudi Karimullah, Sonny Elfiyanto

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Editorial and overview of 2nd International Asia Pacific Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conference (APIRTP) was held in Universitas Islam Malang in Malang, Indonesia on 17 – 20 January 2024.

The Modern Pilgrimage Of Umrah: The Convergence Of Spiritual Devotion And Pop-Consumer Culture In Indonesia, Syamsu Madyan, Habil Abyad, Imam Wahyudi Karimullah

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This study explores Umrah’s significant growth as a religious tourism model in Indonesian Muslim society. The discussion examines factors that influence that growth, from the increased income levels of Indonesian middle-class Muslims to the Umrah propaganda generated by the wave of social media. This study will also capture Umrah as a solution for Indonesian Muslims to the long waiting queue for Hajj quota in Indonesia, as it is seen as a good opportunity for religious commodification through the touristic market being exercised by stakeholders such as policymakers and travel agencies. As the Umrah tourist market will be analysed in this …

Religious Tolerance Through Prayer: Legal Analysis And Inter-Religious Prayer Interactions Communities In Realising Religious Harmony, Zuli Dwi Rahmawati, Siti Sumadiyah

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Joint prayer is an activity that is performed by different religious groups at the same time and place. This practice can be done in the form of one or several people praying while others agree, or everyone prays together according to their respective religions. In Indonesia, the practice of joint prayer shows a discourse on religious tolerance in the diversity of society. The practice of prayer between religious people often triggers discussions on pros and cons among Indonesian people. In this article the law and the interaction of prayer between religious communities as an effort to understand the key role …

Untapped Halal-Friendly Tourism Potential For Taiwan, Arina Khoirunnisa, Indrawati Indrawati, Yu-Fang Yen, Subhash Kizhakanveatil Bhaskaran Pillai

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Being the second largest belief, and fastest growing economy, many of the people from Muslim countries started travelling outside their countries due to increased economic prosperity and curiosity of exploring different cultures. The present study focuses on a non-Muslim country Taiwan, where the government is taking initiatives to attract the new segment of Muslim travellers. To support such initiatives, Halal-friendly-tourism is promoted in Taiwan. The pandemic period of 2019-2022 led to exploring different forms of tourism for reviving the ailing tourism sector, and cultural and heritage tourism is gaining prominence in this direction. Taiwan is trying to showcase its cultural …

Nostalgia, Trauma And Recovery: A Case Study Of Hazrat Hamza Shah Shrine, Ismail Rafik Shaikh, Subhash Kizhakanveatil Bhaskaran Pillai, Indrawati Indrawati, Irfan Syed Mirza, Yu-Fang Yen, Arina Khoirunnisa

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Religious tourism, as a pillar of spirituality and faith, continues to uplift and encourage believers in times of hardship. However, religious tourism was severely disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected many stakeholders at different levels. This study explores the experiences of various stakeholders at the Hazrat Hamza Shah Shrine in Goa over three different time periods: nostalgia (before the pandemic), trauma (during the pandemic), and recovery (following the pandemic). Utilising qualitative data from interviews and social media sentiment analysis (53 posts on Facebook, 185 on Instagram, 64 on YouTube, and 102 on Google Maps), the study has identified a …

Tourism Networks As A Mechanism For Degrowth: The Case Of The Burren Ecotourism Network In Ireland, Aisling Ward, Shirley Millar

Publications

This exploratory paper examines how a community-based ecotourism network can sustain a destination from an economic, environmental and social perspective while pertaining to a degrowth approach that measures success beyond the traditional economic variables of volume and revenue. It focuses on the Burren Eco-tourism Network (BEN) in the West of Ireland, a region known for its unique landscape and natural heritage. Nine qualitative in-depth interviews were completed using a community-based tourism case study methodology. Evidence of a degrowth mindset was littered throughout the research and this was verified through the voluntary nature surrounding its origins, the equal requirements, training and …

Discovering Sri Lanka: Examining The Marketing Strategies Behind Successful Tourist Destinations, Victoria Powell

University Honors Theses

Building on the observation that Sri Lanka is emerging as a tourist destination, this thesis compares the national destination marketing campaigns of Thailand, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka to identify how their strengths have contributed to their success. Using a comparative analysis, the research examines each destination’s brand positioning, distribution channels, campaign messaging, visual identity, and brand consistency. A deeper analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT analysis) is conducted on Sri Lanka's destination marketing campaign to present the study's findings and communicate recommendations. Ultimately, the analysis is used to recommend strategies for Sri Lanka's destination marketing efforts to …

Ai-Powered Education: A Cross-Country Exploration Of Ai Literacy Among Hospitality And Tourism Educators, Anderson Ngelambong, Siao Fui Wong, Silverina Kibat, Nur'hidayah Che Ahmat, Noel Scott

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

While there is a growing acknowledgement of the importance of AI literacy in educational settings, there is a notable scarcity of specific studies focusing on the AI literacy levels of hospitality and tourism educators in the Asian region. Notably, this study explores the AI literacy levels and integration of AI technologies among hospitality and tourism educators. We interviewed 25 educators from Malaysia and China using a cross-country qualitative study approach to evaluate their mastery of AI tools, their integration of AI into their teaching, and their challenges. The results revealed notable differences in AI literacy between the two groups, with …

Crafting Myths In Modern Times: Essentialising Duty, Obligation And Exchange In Religious Tourism, Anuja Jose, Vinita Chandra, Uday Pratap Singh

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This paper aims to study the factors that contribute to the success of present-day myths in religious tourism. It also seeks to investigate the factors that compel modern pilgrims to accept a certain myth and the role played by stakeholders of religious tourism in the creation of a myth. In order to explore these research questions, Kauḍī Mātā temple in Varanasi, a popular religious tourist spot for Southern Indians, was chosen for Case Study. Qualitative data have been generated through in-depth interviewing. Simultaneously, several myths of goddess Kauḍī Mātā were recovered from textual and digital sources in addition to the …

Harnessing Eco-Friendly Practices And Transforming Communities Through Social Entrepreneurship: Exploring The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Mode, Iqra Sajad Khan Scholar, Ashaq Hussain Najar Dr, Manik Arora Dr

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This study examines the influence of religious tourism on regional development, with a specific focus on eco-friendly practices and social entrepreneurship. Religious pilgrimages play a significant role in stimulating the tourism sector, hence, creating economic prospects on a global scale. Nevertheless, the extent of scholarly investigation about the impact of implementing eco-friendly practices on nearby communities, particularly within the context of religious pilgrimage destinations, remains minimal. The primary objective of this research centres on the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine located in Jammu and Kashmir renowned for its widespread praise and profound cultural importance. A qualitative methodology was employed to …

Confucian Virtue Ethics And Tourists’ Response To Spiritual Destinations: Ho Chi Minh City, An Sor Model Approach, Nguyen Van Si, Vo Duy Minh

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This study aims to identify key factors that impact tourists’ responses, such as electronic word of mouth, and revisit intention to spiritual destinations. Based on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework, this study introduces ritual propriety in Confucian Virtue Ethics as a new ‘stimulus’, along with destination image and tourism facilities. In addition, this study introduces spiritual belief and gratitude as two new ‘organisms’ together with destination attachment. The quantitative analysis of 470 spiritual tourists’ responses in Ho Chi Minh City confirmed that ritual propriety, destination image, and tourism facilities as ‘stimuli’, impact gratitude, spiritual belief, and destination attachment as ‘organisms’, resulting …

Pilgrimage In The 12th Century: From The Ancient Travel Practices To Religious Tourism Routing Practices, Mafalda Martins Nascimento, Luís Mota Figueira

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Pilgrimages assumed a crucial importance in the Middle Ages and in religious history in general, having always mobilised thousands of people worldwide. Travel in general and movements for religious reasons still assume an extraordinary relevance in the tourist sector, providing an important contribution to regional and local development involving sacred places, creating value and benefiting local populations. Thematic tourism routing is a component of the offer (endogenous resources transformed into attractions), planned from the local (local circuit) to the global (international route).

In this medieval context some religious-military orders assumed a relevant role at a socioeconomic level, whose legacy is …

The Unicorn And Christ – Metamorphosis And Symbology, Luis Mendonça De Carvalho, Francisca Maria Fernandes, Maria Fátima Nunes, Ana Maria Costa, Paula Nozes, Ana Paula Figueira

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The unicorn is a legendary chimaera that, for centuries, has been present in the mindset of Euro-Mediterranean cultures. Although its morphological description changed, tradition identifies it as an animal like a horse, albeit smaller and with a spiralling horn on its head pointing forward. The unicorn has been known since Antiquity, with references by authors such as Ctesias and Pliny. However, its relevance for medieval Europeans began with the Biblical references to this animal in several Old Testament verses. These verses gave legitimacy to the unicorn, and it was accepted as a tangible animal. During the Middle Ages and early …

Review Of: The Routledge Handbook Of Religious And Spiritual Tourism, By Daniel H. Olsen And Dallen J. Timothy, Bincy Kaluvilla

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Book Review of Review of: The Routledge Handbook of Religious and Spiritual Tourism, by Daniel H. Olsen and Dallen J. Timothy. Review by Bincy Baburaj Kaluvilla

Ontology, Epistemology And Axiology In Halal Research: Empirical Evidence From Hajj Pilgrimage, Mohammad Mominul Islam

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The philosophical contributions of ontology, axiology, and epistemology have not provided a clear understanding of conventional or Halal tourism, including the Hajj pilgrimage. Against this background, this study aims to explore the Halal perspective of knowledge creation, including At-Tawhid, Ijtihad, and philosophies, through a qualitative and grounded theory approach with inductive reasoning and ethnographic approach. The author collected primary data through active observation of the Hajj rituals from June 16th to July 25th, 2022, in Makkah, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and popular blog posts about the travel experience of pilgrims. Then, the data were analysed using ATLAS.ti to result …

Explaining The Satisfaction Of The Religious Tourist: The Case Of Maimonides In The City Of Cordoba, César Mora Márquez, Angelo Puccia

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Tourism was one of the most severely affected sectors by the Covid-19 pandemic. Even religious tourism, traditionally less susceptible to market fluctuations, is now compelled to adopt innovative strategies in response to these effects. This article analyses the satisfaction of religious tourism, specifically its relationship with the figure of Maimonides, who is considered to be an important religious thinker and is included within the Pantheon database of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). A questionnaire was distributed and completed by 720 tourists in the city of Cordoba, Spain, which has close links to Maimonides. The findings indicated that the spirituality …

Spirituality And The Quest For Transcendence On The Portuguese Way Of St. James, José Luís Braga, Miguel Pazos Otón, Isabel Borges

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela is a kind of proto tourism in a world where the number of pilgrimages has increased considerably. In the past the only motivation for such pilgrimages was religious, today we are witnessing the emergence of new motivations, such as cultural and even sporting ones. The research questions that guide this study are the following: Are faith and religion still strong enough motivations to justify pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela? Are there points of convergence between religious and secular pilgrims? Can the Camino be a means of awakening religious vocations? In short, what is the …

Ijrtp Volume 13(I) Table Of Contents, Kevin A. Griffin, Razaq Raj, Carlos Fernandes

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

IJRTP Volume 13(i) Table of Contents

Invited Paper: Augmenting Pilgrimage With Ai: Walking The Kumano Kodō Iseji With A Digital Companion, Wayne E. Arnold, John A. Shultz

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Can a pilgrimage feel sacred when walking it alongside an artificial intelligence? In early 2025, we set out with a custom-built AI companion to walk the 170km Kumano Kodō Iseji route, exploring how digital tools might reshape one of Japan’s oldest pilgrimage paths. Rather than replacing the traditional experience, the AI deepened it by providing real-time translations, historical context, and even companionship during long stretches of remote trail. This field reflection explores how AI, when thoughtfully programmed and intentionally used, can augment sacred travel without diminishing its meaning. Walking with AI allowed us to engage more fully with the layered …