Tourism Commons^™

Religious Night Tourism During Ramadan In Mashhad, Iran: Lived Experiences Of Pilgrims, Neda Zarandian, Razieh Rabani, Daniel H. Olsen

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Mashhad, located in northeastern Iran, is one of the most significant pilgrimage destinations in the Islamic world, attracting millions of visitors annually to the Imam Reza Shrine (The eighth Imam of Shia Muslims). During Ramadan, the city transforms into a vibrant spiritual and social space where nocturnal religious practices and social gatherings shape distinctive emotional and temporal experiences for both pilgrims and tourists. Understanding these lived nighttime experiences is essential for developing culturally sensitive and spiritually meaningful tourism approaches. Despite the growing attention to religious tourism, the temporal, emotional, and sensory dimensions of night tourism in pilgrimage contexts remain unexplored. …

Lesson Learned: Developing A Replica Of The Kaaba In Central Lombok As An Educational Religious Tourism Destination - A Public Sector Role Approach, M. Setyo Nugroho, Muhammad Muhajir Aminy

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This study examines the role of village administration in developing the Kaaba replica as a religious education site in Central Lombok. It introduces a unique tourism product that provides travellers with an experience reminiscent of the Hajj in Mecca. The research employs a qualitative approach with exploratory analysis, and data were collected through observation, interviews, and documentation. Observations focused on the replica’s condition, supporting attractions, facilities, infrastructure, tour packages, and tourist activities. Interviews were conducted with village officials, replica management, and community members. Documentation included photographs, audio, video, records, scientific publications, and books related to the replica. The findings indicate …

Sectoral Structuring And Socio-Economic Context: The Resilience Capacity Of Tourism Businesses In Corsica And The Balearic Islands - A Comparative Analysis, Léa Giudicelli

International Journal of Islands Research

The tourism sector remains intrinsically vulnerable to crises of various kinds, including natural disasters, terrorist attacks, volcanic activity, and pandemics. The unprecedented disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which virtually paralysed global tourism for many months, have led to a critical reassessment of tourism specialisation and revitalised debates about the sector’s potential for sustainable transformation (Girard & Schéou, 2020). In this reflective context, the present study aims to analyse the adaptive capacity of tourism enterprises facing structural changes affecting the sector in recent years. Particular attention is paid to the consequences of growing collective awareness around climate change, as well …

Investigating How Personal Values Shape Tourism Experiences: A Case Study Of The Irish National Stud And Gardens, Amy Monahan, Ann T. Conway

International Journal of Tour Guiding and Visitor Attraction Research

This Paper explores the relationship between personal values and tourism experiences  that are  satisfying. A case study of the Irish National Stud and Gardens was undertaken in order to explore this concept. Interviews were conducted to investigate how qualities of the attraction appealed to the visitors’ personal values, thereby enhancing the overall visitor experience. A set of personal values were identified which were specific to the destination. The research demonstrated how an understanding of personal values can assist attractions with various aspects of their operations, with context specific recommendations provided at the end. This approach was taken was taken to …

Las Voces Olvidadas Del Territorio: Infancias Mayas Ante El Conflicto Socioambiental En Ixil, Cielo María Ávila López, Myriam Montserrat Baca Canché, José Israel Herrera

Journal of Maya Heritage

Resumen: En la península de Yucatán, en el sureste de México, la comunidad maya de Ixil resiste ante los diversos intentos de implementación de megaproyectos en su territorio. En el marco de estas disputas territoriales, las voces de las infancias adquieren un matiz clave en el análisis de las dinámicas de desterritorialización y las respuestas de resistencia que devienen del contexto del conflicto socioambiental. Es así como, a partir de la ecología política y metodologías que favorecen el acercamiento a las voces de las infancias, emergieron los significados construidos en torno a dichos sucesos, lo que reveló que más allá …

The Legend Of The Bear Lake Monster, Melissa Anderson Asay

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

The Bear Lake Monster is a legend that has persisted for centuries. This monster is rooted in Shoshone oral traditions and hold the potential to be based off of fossils found in the Shoshone territory. This living legend was later amplified by Mormon settlers. One settler in particular, Joseph C. Rich, played a significant role in shaping its narrative. Though he eventually admitted to fabricating sightings to encourage settlement, belief in the creature remains alive today. The serpent’s presence in local lore has undeniably influenced the Bear Lake region, shaping both its identity and tourism industry. This legend serves as …

Potential And Promotion Strategies Of “Wisata Alam Ndeso” In Kubu Raya Regency, Siti Fatimah, Fahmi Fahmi, Muhammad Dhafa Ardilinata

Journal of Indonesian Tourism and Policy Studies

The development of tourism based on local potential is a key strategy for promoting regional economic growth, including in Kubu Raya Regency. “Wisata Alam Ndeso”, as a nature- and culture-based tourism destination, has considerable potential; however, it still faces various limitations in terms of management and promotion. This study aims to analyze the tourism potential and promotional strategies employed in the development of “Wisata Alam Ndeso”. This research adopts a descriptive qualitative approach, with data collected through in-depth interviews, observation, and documentation. The informants consist of the owner and a staff member who are directly involved in the management of …

K4) Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage Inscription: End Of The Road Or A New Beginning?, Michał Duda, Bogdan Włodarczyk, Marzena Makowska-Iskierka

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

The aim of paper is to examine the changes triggered by the inscription of religious traditions on intangible cultural heritage lists - the national level and at the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Such inscriptions generate transformations observable at heritage sites, among communities safeguarding these traditions, and in the behaviours of visitors - phenomena referred to as the “UNESCO effect.” These changes often extend beyond individual sites, inspiring other communities and heritage bearers to seek heritage recognition.

The paper focuses on religious cultural heritage associated with the tradition of creating floral carpets for the Feast of Corpus Christi in Spycimierz, …

K3) From Sacred Landscape To Pilgrimage Environment: The Case Of Monte San Giorgio And Mendrisio, Lorenzo Cantoni, Adine Gavazzi

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

Across Europe, numerous historic pilgrimage landscapes no longer function as dominant religious destinations, yet devotional practices persist in fragmented, latent, or reinterpreted forms. Pilgrimage however appears to be undergoing a process of transformation within postsecular communities, where spiritual meaning coexists with heritage tourism, community identity, and cultural landscape management. Building on religious tourism studies, pilgrimage is understood as mobility toward sacred sites as well as a ritual process embedded in tradition, motivation, and lived experience (Griffin & Raj 2017). Contemporary scholarship emphasises that pilgrimage preserve the experiential and relational practice linking people, landscape and belief systems, while fighting the tourist …

K1) Negotiating The Sacred: Religious Sensitivities Within Contemporary Tourism Practices, Polyxeni G. Moira Dr

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

This study critically analyses ways of managing religious sensitivities in the contemporary tourism environment, focusing on the dynamic intersections between religious-cultural heritage, spirituality, and the visitor experience. Recognizing the diversity of tourist motivations—which range from traditional pilgrimage to purely cultural, historical, or educational pursuits—the study argues for the need for flexible models of governance. These models must strike a delicate balance between the accessibility of sacred sites and the necessary respect for their sanctity.

Through a thorough review of the interventions of international organizations (such as UNESCO, UNWTO, and ICCROM) and the analysis of good practice studies from various continents, …

K2) (Over) Tourism And Tolkien’S Doors Of Durin: Challenges And Opportunities For St Edward’S Local Parish Church, Ruth Dowson, Karen Wellman

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

This paper considers the impacts of overtourism on the local parish church in the English Cotswolds that allegedly inspired Tolkien’s Doors of Durin (Lord of the Rings), and which was also the location of the ending of the English Civil War in the 17th Century. As a convenient stopping place for coaches, the picturesque village of Stow-on-the-Wolds has numerous tea shops; its unique historical and literary connections have made St Edwards Parish Church into a destination for approximately 200,000 visitors a year (the equivalent of ten coaches every day). This research project assesses the visitors’ footprint: demographics; where they come …

L3) Drawing, Religious Experience And The Pilgrim’S Mind, Stephen F. Haller

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

While some tourism activities can be a positive obstacle to awareness and connection, other tourism activities, like drawing, can lead to inner development, wonder, and a heightened experience. A traveller’s activity of sketching and drawing is a meditative exercise in concentration and focus that can transform one’s experience and enhance their perception. It often facilitates the experience of connection to the place being drawn; to nature; and to a community. If developed as a frequent habit, drawing can be a character-building activity with virtues that continue even after the act of drawing is over. It is a method of altering …

L2) More Than Faith: Self-Fulfilment As A Key Driver Of Memorable Religious Tourism, Sau Ying Pamela Ho, Jing (Bill) Xu

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

While traditional perspectives on religious tourism often emphasize faith as the primary motivator, this study challenges that assumption, revealing that the pursuit of self-fulfilment is a more powerful and significant driver of memorable visitor experiences. This research delves into the psychological underpinnings of pilgrimage, seeking to understand what transforms a simple visit into a profoundly impactful journey that enhances a visitor’s sense of self-worth.

To investigate these dynamics, the study adopted the ABC Model of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT). This framework posits that an Activating event (visiting a religious attraction) triggers an individual’s internal Belief system (religiosity and self-fulfilment), …

L1) Religious Tourism In Islam: Between Spiritual Purpose And Sincere Intention, Tariq Elhadary, Razaq Raj

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

This study explores religious tourism in Islam through the interrelated concepts of spiritual purpose and sincere intention. It argues that the Islamic understanding of religious experience extends beyond physical travel or the visitation of sacred sites, grounding its value in the inner dimension of faith. Islam prioritizes the essence of actions over their outward form, establishing conviction of the heart before verbal affirmation and physical practice. Accordingly, intention serves as the primary criterion for assessing the validity, acceptance, and spiritual completeness of deeds. Religious journeys such as Hajj, Umrah, and visits to holy sites therefore attain their authentic significance when …

J3) The Autopoiesis Of Pilgrimage Tourism: How Cruise Passengers Self-Organise Transformational Meaning In Mass Tourism, Taja Macek, Tadeja Jere Jakulin

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

Modern cruise tourism presents a theoretical paradox for the Mediterranean basin. Every year, millions of passengers sail along maritime routes that follow ancient pilgrimage routes. They head towards Rome, the Holy Land, and the coastal approaches to Lourdes, Santiago, and Montserrat. All this takes place within one of the most operationally regulated and commercially standardised forms of mass tourism. Even within this structural rigidity, travellers regularly report profound personal transformation, spiritual encounters, and meaning-making that are strikingly reminiscent of traditional pilgrimage narratives (Collins-Kreiner, 2010; Olsen & Timothy, 2006). This discrepancy between the system's design and the individual's experience poses a …

J1) Reorienting The Pilgrim-Tourist Dichotomy, Daniel H. Olsen

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

Over the past decade, the pilgrim–tourist dichotomy, originally articulated by Smith (1992), has come under sustained scrutiny, particularly in light of postmodern critiques that problematize rigid dualisms and emphasize the fluidity of personal identity. Scholars have long debated the usefulness of this binary framework. On one hand, some have sought to refine the dichotomy by inserting additional categories along a spectrum, attempting to capture the nuances between pilgrims and tourists. On the other hand, many critics have dismissed the model’s analytical utility entirely, often without offering a concrete alternative to understand the distinctions between these two types of travelers.

This …

J2) Whose Sacredness? A Systematized Review Of Theoretical Grounding And Social Representation In Tourism Studies, Ana Maria Candell Saldarreaga, Silvia Aulet

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

This paper presents a critical and systematized literature review of how sacred spaces and sites are conceptualized within tourism studies. Although research increasingly engages with religious, spiritual, heritage, and secular sites, the concept of 'sacredness' is frequently employed without explicit definition or consistent theoretical grounding, often leading to an analytical ambiguity between traditional devotion and contemporary heritage consumption. Consequently, the central question this study addresses is: In what ways is tourism scholarship conceptualizing sacrality, and what is being overlooked in the process. To address this, the study examines dominant disciplinary perspectives, the types of spaces analysed, and the positioning of …

I3) The Apparitions Of Notre Dame Du Lac (Our Lady Of The Lake) In Togo: Or The Roman Church's Strategy In Africa, Pierre Fournié, Henri Dou

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

"Our Lady of the Lake. Mother of Mercy”, reads the inscription on the statue of Virgin Mary. Overlooking Lake Togo, visible from many points within the Marian shrine, it symbolizes the devotion that illuminates the site since its inauguration in November 1973. The weakest, the poorest, those who suffer come here seeking the care and protection. Since the Virgin was seen by villagers above the waters in 1971, and the visit of Pope John Paul II consecrating the place in 1985, the sanctuary welcomes every year on the shores of Lake Togo, thousands of believers, faithful, curious people, but also …

I2) Unlocking The Potential Of Pilgrimage Tourism For Post War Tourism Recovery: Evidence From Tigray, Ethiopia, Asefash Dejine Asefash Ayallew, Silvia Aulet

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

This study examines the role of pilgrimage tourism for supporting post conflict tourism recovery in Tigray, Ethiopia, with particular focus on the pilgrimage site of Saint Mary Axum Zion in the historic city of Axum. The region possesses rich religious and cultural heritage that has historically attracted large number of pilgrims and visitors.

The need for this study arises from the devastating Tigray war (2020–2023), which resulted the destruction of religious sites, looting of artifacts, collapse of tourism services and loss of livelihoods connected to the sector. However, despite these challenges several pilgrimage destinations have continued as important point of …

I1) Ancient Pilgrimage Routes As Tools For Durable Territorial Development: Insights From The Camino De Santiago And The Via Francigena, Maria Laura Gasparini

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

Pilgrimage is a practice common to all major religions, involving a journey undertaken for spiritual or religious purposes towards a sacred site (Smith, 1992). Considered a forerunner of modern tourism (Di Giovine & Elsner, 2016; pilgrimage today is experiencing a notable phase of rejuvenation (Collins-Kreiner, 2016), increasingly marked by personal quests for meaning and spirituality (Trono, 2015). Beyond its religious and spiritual dimension, pilgrimage has been revitalised globally as a form of outdoor and slow tourism. The growing development of both historical and contemporary routes has captured the attention of policymakers, who increasingly recognise their potential for fostering local development, …