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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.

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 …

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 …

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

Exploring Models Of Reflective Practice To Aid The Understanding Of Pilgrimage Experience, Chris Hall

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This paper explores the use of models of reflective practice to aid reflection and sense making for a walking pilgrimage experience and analyses the challenges of using such a model in this context. The paper then examines whether Greenia’s definition of pilgrimage experience can be used as a model to aid reflection. This is subsequently applied to a 5-day walking pilgrimage experience and its effectiveness assessed.

Miracles Have Subjective Meaning For Religious Travellers, Even If They Are Not Supernatural, Stephen F. Haller

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Miracles still play a role in religious tourism even though it is impossible to distinguish them as divinely inspired, rather than derived from ‘mere’ psychological causes. One might ask whether it matters to a religious tourist or pilgrim that the adoption of a religious attitude to the mysteries of miracles is not grounded in religious belief in the supernatural. Are religious tourists and pilgrims not just inventing comforting illusions in wilful ignorance?

This philosophical paper will relate a few examples of miracles; and explain how the experience of miracles is a subjective experience, and not an objective belief in a …

Women Walking: Experiences Of Sacred Time On Mexican Guadalupan Pilgrimage, Sadie Yates

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Each July, 60,000 Catholic pilgrims walk from their home state of Querétaro, Mexico, to the Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Mexico City, a journey totaling 17 days and 450 km. Roughly 25,000 of these pilgrims are women, who walk in their own group, one day ahead of the men (Catholic News Agency, 2018). The goal of this pilgrimage is to see the Virgin of Guadalupe, a strong symbol of Catholic and Mexican identity since her original appearance to an indigenous peasant man in 1531. Yet, for many of these women pilgrims, the pilgrimage process is just as important …

A Spiritual Pilgrimage To A Celtic Homeland: Searching And Internalising In Grief From Stone To Sea. A Collaborative Autoethnography, Laura Lewis, Eunice Gorman

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This collaborative autoethnography poses the research question; How does one’s experience of grief and anticipatory grief mobilise pilgrimage journeys to ancestral homelands? Two theoretical constructs found in the academic literature related to grief and loss are explored for their influence on both authors’ respective pilgrimage journeys to the Celtic ancestral homeland of their deceased and ‘vanishing’ fathers in Wales and Ireland. The theoretical constructs explored through an extensive review of paternal personal documents of one author (Laura), revealed thematic ideas that could be best understood through an elaboration of the academic literature(s) that inform understandings of grief and bereavement. These …

Ijrtp Volume 12(Iv) Table Of Contents, Ian S. Mcintosh, Dane Munro, Dagnachew Leta Senbeto, Kevin A. Griffin, Carlos Fernandes, Razaq Raj

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Special Issue: Papers Presented at Sacred Journeys 11th Global Conference - Pilgrimage: A Growing Global Phenomenon, Waijun Kaikan Conference Center, Chion-In Buddhist Temple, Kyoto, Japan, July 1-4, 2024

Rebuilding Possible: Pilgrimage And Learned Helplessness, Christianna Soumakis

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Learned helplessness is a belief in one’s own powerlessness which may develop after repeated exposure to stressful situations ranging from domestic abuse to public education. It is associated with pessimism, passivity in the face of obstacles, and depression. Pilgrimage, conversely, is associated with agency — striking out on one’s own in search of physical, emotional, cognitive, and / or spiritual transformation. Combining psychological literature with my personal experience as a pilgrim, special education student, artist, art facilitator for people with special needs, and professor, I argue that walking pilgrimages such as the Camino de Santiago offer a comprehensive opportunity to …

The Kyoto Trail: Sacred Sites On A Pseudo-Pilgrimage, Wayne E. Arnold, John A. Shultz

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

How should we conceive of a secular walking trail that traverses a country’s premier holy sites in and around its spiritual capital? The Kyoto Trail is something of an oddity in comparison to the plentiful sacred walking paths throughout Japan. The 84-kilometer circuit probes and circumambulates the city of Kyoto via a horseshoe-like arc. It links an array of holy mountains with lush realms of nature and connects dozens of famous pilgrimage locations of exceptionally varied descriptions. However, while the trail sometimes overlaps with medieval pilgrimage routes, it is a relatively new course, established in the early 1990s through initiatives …

Pilgrimage: A Growing Global Phenomenon - Editorial, Dane Munro, Dagnachew Leta Senbeto, Ian S. Mcintosh

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Editorial and introduction to Special Issue of papers presented at Sacred Journeys 11th Global Conference - Pilgrimage: A Growing Global Phenomenon, Waijun Kaikan Conference Center, Chion-In Buddhist Temple, Kyoto, Japan, July 1-4, 2024

Increasing The Attractiveness Of Hungarian Religious Pilgrimage Routes, The Case Of Rurallure, Ákos Lencsés, Ildikó Kádárné Kelemen, Ildikó Csepregi, Zsófia Galgócziné Szabó

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The paper discusses the regional variations and attractiveness of pilgrimage routes in Europe, focusing on the Way of Mary. The Horizon Europe project rurAllure aims to use innovative techniques, such as narrative techniques of cultural heritage and mapping non-religious points of interests, to expand the area around the route and attract younger and spiritually-seeking pilgrims. The study introduces the selection criteria, workflow, and technologies used to enhance the tourism experience along the route, exploring alternative route variants and narrative creating techniques. For this, we describe and analyse the data of Points of Interest (POIs), narratives, and recommended trips generated as …

Pilgrimage And Tourism Marketing Concepts, Prospects, And Challenges In Two Developing Countries: Bangladesh And Ghana, Md. Javed Kawsar, Michael Evans, Rashed Khan

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This contextual paper analyses the significance of pilgrimage and tourism marketing concepts, prospects, and challenges in two developing countries, Ghana in the West of Africa, and Bangladesh in the South of Asia. The focus of this study is to assess the present marketing and promotion of tourism in the two countries which are different in population size, economy, and tourism contribution towards each country’s GDP.

Within the context of nature-based tourism initiatives in Bangladesh, it is imperative to measure future prospects of tourism marketing ventures related to pilgrimage. The development of marketing for tourism can be helpful for delivering stability …

Ijrtp Volume 12(Ii) Table Of Contents, Kevin A. Griffin, Razaq Raj, Carlos Fernandes, Ivan Dodig

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

IJRTP Volume 12(ii) Table of Contents

Impact Analysis Of Religious Events: Medjugorje As A Pilgrimage Destination, Igor Stamenkovic, Ivan Dodig, Dajana Vukojević

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Medjugorje is one of the most well-known and attractive pilgrimage sites for Roman Catholics. The phenomenon of Medjugorje is linked to the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to six children, which, according to the children’s claims, began in June 1981, after which this town has become one of the most visited destinations in the whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Tens of thousands of pilgrims attend the International Youth Festival “Mladifest”, a religious gathering that has been going on for more than thirty years. The purpose of this paper is to research and explain how this religious event impacts a …

Dante’S Pilgrimage: Transformation As A ‘Web Of Belief’, Stephen F. Haller

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

In Dante’s allegorical pilgrimage to hell and back, he travels through three stages of transformation that are illustrated in his paradigmatic example of identity transformation; namely, Dante’s Divine Comedy. As a pilgrim, he starts out in a state of ‘unease’ (or ‘sin’). Next, there is a ‘solution’ to his psychological disarray, which results in the religious experience of joy. William James has persuasively argued that these are the common features of all religious experiences (1901). Dante is in a stage of his life when he can no longer be reached by argument. This state of mind is described, by the …

Tourist Expectation And Their Perception Towards Service Quality : The Case Of Baidyanath Dham Jyotirlinga, Deoghar, Vaishali Singh, Anjan Bhuyan

Journal of Tourism Insights

The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions and expectations of tourists regarding the Service Quality attributes at Baidyanath Dham Jyotirlinga in Deoghar, Jharkhand. The aim is to identify the significant areas of shortcomings in the tourist amenities/services offered at the pilgrimage site and suggest ways to improve the overall pilgrimage experience. The study used the scale development procedures provided by Churchill (1979) and Hinkin (1995) as the initial step in developing a service quality scale. First, a thorough literature analysis highlighted six crucial factors: accommodation, information accessibility, transportation, safety and security, hygienic food and drink, and temple …

The Academic Influence Of The Camino De Santiago: A Bibliometric Analysis Of Doctoral Research And Indexed Manuscripts, Silvia Díaz-De La Fuente, Virginia Ahedo, María Pilar Alonso Abad, José Manuel Galán

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The Camino de Santiago is one of the most recognised cultural pilgrimage routes in the world. Notably, its current influence transcends the strictly inspirational and religious aspects, constituting also a socio-economic, cultural, historical, heritage and tourism cornerstone. This paper analyses, from an innovative bibliometric perspective, the influence of the Camino de Santiago on the academic literature in the period from 1980 to the present. For this purpose, two data sources have been used comparatively: manuscripts indexed in Scopus and doctoral theses. The results reveal a growth of its academic relevance in the last decade, especially in indexed publications. The analysis …

Ijrtp Volume 12(I) Table Of Contents, Kevin A. Griffin, Razaq Raj, Carlos Fernandes

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Table of contents for Volume 12(i) of International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage In The Covid-19 Era: Uncovering Supply Side Challenges And Opportunities In Media Representations, Reni Polus, Ismail Shaheer, Naresh P. Nayak

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage travel, a common practice across major religions, has historically exhibited remarkable resilience to global crises, owing to the unwavering conviction of its followers. However, the COVID-19 pandemic marked a significant departure from this trend, disrupting pilgrimage tourism, unlike any event since World War II. Despite extensive research on the pandemic’s impact on tourism, limited attention has been directed towards understanding its specific effects on pilgrimage travel. This study seeks to address this gap by examining the challenges and opportunities faced by pilgrimage tourism suppliers in the aftermath of COVID-19. To obtain a comprehensive global perspective, we collected and analysed …

Religious Tourism Attractions At Debre Aron Rock-Hewn Church, Meket District, Northern Ethiopia, Tsegaye Ebabey Demissie

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Ethiopia, which has a diverse sacred cultural heritage, has enormous fortunes as far as religious tourism is concerned. Its ancient Christianity has left numerous religious and historical legacies, ranging from architecturally sophisticated sacred monuments to living religious practices. However, the development of these legacies for religious tourism is hindered mainly due to a lack of research and consideration by tourism developers. This study aims to investigate the potential tourism value of Debre Aron Monastery, which is one of the most overlooked religious sites in northern Ethiopia. To this end, the study’s data, which are analysed qualitatively, were collected through literature …

Evolving Trends In Sustainable Religious Tourism: A Bibliometric Analysis, Anita Kumari, Pooja Thakur

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

As the world strives to overcome the pressing challenges of sustainable development, the tourism industry, with its substantial environmental and social impacts, calls for renewed attention. Within this domain, religious tourism has emerged as a distinctive and integral component of the sustainable tourism discourse. This study employs bibliometric analysis to examine the growth, key themes, and emerging trends in research on sustainable and religious tourism from the year 2011 to 2022, using the open-access Dimensions database. The findings indicate a continuous and steady growth in the body of literature pertaining to sustainability in religious tourism. The key themes and potential …

Ijrtp Volume 12(Iii) Table Of Contents, Dr. Taruna, Kevin A. Griffin, Razaq Raj, Carlos Fernandes

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Special Issue: Papers Presented at International Conference on Religious Tourism (ICRT-2023), held at the Department of Management Studies, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University Lucknow, (U.P), India, 27-28 March 2023

‘Unlikely Adventures’ In Sacred And Secular Space: India And The Sikh Diaspora, Dorothy Lane

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The Sikh relationship with pilgrimage models is ambivalent and complicated; however, this relationship has been revived and reinvented because of several historical, cultural, and political transitions: the extensive Sikh diaspora; familiarity of pilgrimage in the Indian subcontinent; the effects of Partition and Sikh independence initiatives; and the secular and tourist components of pilgrimage. The shift from adherence to the wisdom of the Guru as the focus of the pious life to a physical journey involving geographical sites is a phenomenon that partly resulted from the partition of the Punjab in 1947; thus, the personal, social, and spiritual intersect intriguingly with …

Editorial: Pilgrimage-Induced Transformations: The 12th Annual International Religious Tourism & Pilgrimage Conference In Braga, Emese Panyik, Vincent Zammit

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

No abstract provided.

Peregrinatio Interrupta: An Eclectic Success Of A Failed Pilgrimage, Noel Buttigieg, Dane Munro

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This study explores the case study of two Quaker nuns, Ms Catherine Evans and Ms Sarah Cheevers. Their coincidental connection with the Mediterranean island of Malta caught the attention of several researchers, primarily interested in the micro history of the Quakers movement. Originally, Evans and Cheevers were entrusted to travel to Jerusalem, expecting to convert Christians at the epicentre of Christianity to Quakerism. After their ship called into the port of Malta en route to the Holy Land, their mission was interrupted due to their polarising and confrontational behaviour towards the Holy Office of the Roman Inquisition. Their intended short …

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. …

Pilgrimage And Paradigm Shifts: The Role Of Experience In Identity Transformations, Stephen F. Haller

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Some kinds of knowledge can only be acquired by direct experience. Engaging in a pilgrimage can transform a person by allowing them to inhabit different worldviews, or paradigms, that would otherwise remain inaccessible to them. The pilgrim then learns to see the world in a new and different way; has ideas not imagined before the experience, and; may even change their life in ways unforeseen before the pilgrimage. It is uncertain just how, and in what unexpected ways, one might change. Most often these changes are welcomed; however, it is unclear whether one’s prepilgrim- self, before the change, would approve …

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

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

No abstract provided.