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Universal Accessibility On The Portuguese Coastal Way To Santiago In Porto Municipality, Fátima Matos De Silva, Isabel Borges, Marta Arreiol

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

In this article, the authors seek to understand if improvement to the conditions of universal accessibility on the Portuguese Coastal Way to Santiago was one of the factors that contributed to the development of this Way and consequently the increase of pilgrims.

To this end, an evolutionary analysis of the number of pilgrims was carried out, which involved a study of the universal accessibility of the Portuguese Coastal Way to Santiago and its religious heritage in the municipality of Porto. An analysis was also undertaken of the guiding and explanatory signage and the elements of innovation introduced, as well as …

The Representation And Definition Of Shinto Within Travel Guidebooks, Pascal Von Beuningen

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Japan is a country that is home to polytheistic religions, namely Buddhism and Shintoism. However, in comparison to Buddhism, which is spread widely, Shinto is mainly found in Japan. Thus, foreign visitors are most likely to encounter Shinto and Shinto shrines for the first time when they visit Japan. It can be argued that developing an understanding of the major religion(s) of a country can enhance cultural understanding. However, a clear definition of Shinto is an ongoing debate in Japan and among scholars across the world. Hence, this research tries to understand through Content Analysis of English and German language …

Events, Christian Faith Communities, And The Public Square, Ruth Dowson (Rev.), Daniel H. Olsen

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Living as members of a faith community can be problematic in world regions where secularism controls the public sphere. The secularisation of European society, for example, has made it more difficult for religious groups to have a voice in public affairs. However, in many instances, religion has seen a revitalised role in the public square. Even in places where religion is believed to be best served as a muted witness in the private realm, Jews, Christians, and Muslims share a long tradition and heritage of political dissent, such as gathering on street corners to express their faith and their views. …

Strategic Intelligence For Sacred Sites, Pierre Fournie

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The polysemous aspect of pilgrimage constitutes a very old human activity, sometimes religious and alternatively secular, make it a complex matter to approach and handle. The exact number of pilgrims visiting sacred sites remains undetermined, and ranges, according to sources, between 200 and 400 million people yearly (Griffin & Raj, 2017). Pilgrimages are often associated with tourism and generate, in several countries, comfortable amounts of revenue. Public or private companies manage sacred sites and at the same time, areas of services for pilgrims and accompanying persons, and an intense network of shops, places for food and accommodation, grow, sometimes haphazardly. …

Perspectives On Holy Springs As A Religious Tourism Resource: A Comparative Study Of The Baltic States And India, Janis Bikse, Mahender Reddy Gavinolla

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Holy springs played an immense role in religious tourism globally over centuries. It is widely believed that visiting holy springs as part of religious practice symbolises the washing away of sins and enhances ones’ health condition and well-being. Both in India and the Baltic States, a significant number of holy springs have various religious significances. However, over a period of time, due to changes in socio-cultural and political conditions, the use of springs for religious purposes and health reasons has also changed. The aim of this article is to analyse the change in the use of holy springs as religious …

From Food To Religion: Two Case Studies In The South Of Italy, Antonietta Ivona, Donatella Privitera

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This research aims to understand the connection between food and religious events and how they have become a focus of new tourist routes in the ‘year of the restart’, a time period marked by the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. The combination of religion and food seems to be successful in attracting tourists in the new scenarios created by the pandemic. The research aims to examine the potential for combining religious tourism with local food to enhance the attractiveness and competitiveness of destinations, using two case studies from Saint Aghata in Catania and Saint Nicholas in Bari, Italy. The findings …

Editorial: The 13th Annual International Religious Tourism & Pilgrimage Conference In Vilnius, Darius Liutikas

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

No abstract provided.

How Review Valence Benefits Umrah Sales Performance: The Moderating Role Of Price, Muhamad Izaidi Ishak, Amran Harun

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The influence of online consumer reviews on a firm’s sales performance has not yet been investigated in the field of Umrah. In addition, the literature does not explain how price moderates the relationship between online consumer reviews and a firm’s sales performance. Thus, the research objective of this paper is to examine the influence of Umrah online consumer reviews, specifically review valence, on Umrah operator sales performance, with Umrah package price acting as the moderator. 82 Malaysian Umrah operators were involved in this study. The secondary data for Umrah online consumer reviews were collected from Google Maps reviews, which matched …

Tourism Potential & Challenges For Islamic Monastery Heritage Sites In Ethiopia: Tiru Sina Mosque, Tesfaye Fentaw Nigatu, Endris A. Haider, Zelalem G. Ambaw

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The main intent of this study is to investigate unusual Islamic monastery heritage sites by focusing on the potential resources and challenges for religious tourism development at Tiru Sina Mosque. To meet this objective a qualitative approach was utilised and data were collected through interviews with elderly religious fathers in addition to culture and tourism officers. Additional focus groups, discussions and deep personal observations were conducted. As the findings reveal, Tiru Sina Mosque is a unique Islamic monastic site with great potential for religious tourism development. This unique Islamic monastery heritage site has socio-cultural, economic, historical, religious and aesthetic values. …

What Shapes Visitor Experience At Religious Destinations? Deploying A Systematic Review To Identify Visitor Experience Constructs, Priyanka Singh, Amit Kumar Singh, Anil Kumar Singh, Irfan Ahmed Ansari

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

While religious sites are identified as unique experience spaces, offering diverse experiences, discourse on what constitutes a visitor’s experience still seems unsettled, primarily due to the fragmented approach owing to the classic binary of pilgrim-tourist. However, post-modern theories emphasise de-differentiation and blurring of boundaries between pilgrim-tourist and stress the need to add a new perspective to enhance the understanding of visitor experience at religious sites to manage tourism at such destinations efficiently. Therefore, the present study is undertaken to respond to this call and aims to identify constructs that shape visitors’ experience at religious sites. Building upon the synthesis of …