This book delves into topics on pilgrimage travel and communities from a variety of perspectives through academic research based on the Middle East, Northeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and Europe, where sacred sites have become of great importance for both international and domestic tourism. In particular, Europe and Asia possess a high volume of world-renowned pilgrimage sites that are currently being developed as tourism destinations in their respective countries, such as Santiago de Compostela (Spain), Lourdes (France), and Koyasan (Japan). This book includes studies on these two continents that harbor both a great history of pilgrimage tradition, as well as tourism development related to religious travel. The book importantly covers the role of the community in religious tourism, as well as the impact on the locals, which is comparatively an unexplored area. Whilst pilgrimage is seen as an effective tool to revitalize local economies, this book also reveals the different challenges to achieving this goal. Realizing the importance of the interrelationship of community and pilgrimage travel, as well as the lack of studies on it, this book seeks to address this research gap through 14 chapters divided into two parts, ‘Communities and Constestation’ and ‘Pilgrimage Shaping Communities’. To ensure diverse perspectives, case studies from different Eurasian countries, written by authors with expertise in the study of pilgrimage and religious travel, are included. Readers can expect to gain new perspectives by having a deeper comprehension of the ‘community side‘ of pilgrimage travel in Eurasia, and thus an integral understanding of contemporary pilgrimage

Within the past 10 years ‘Religious Tourism’ has seen both economic and education-sector growth on a global scale. This book addresses the central role of religious tourism and interrelationships with other aspects of pilgrimage management. It provides practical applications, models and illustrations and looks at secular and sacred spaces on a global stage. The second edition sees the introduction of a new structure and the addition of new international case studies. It is an invaluable reference for academics, students and practitioners and is a timely text on the future of faith-based tourism and pilgrimage.

Incisive and interdisciplinary, this Research Agenda broaches topics that have been under-researched within religious tourism, including: place attachment and marketing; memory and modification of sacred landscapes for tourism needs; the darker sides of religious tourism; multi-stakeholder governance; mission-trips; and allied forms of tourism.

Pilgrimage tourism is one of the basic areas with far-reaching impacts in the travel and tourism industry around the world and across generations. Due to its reach and potential impact, further study is required. Prospects and Challenges of Global Pilgrimage Tourism and Hospitality considers the changing facts and facets of pilgrimage tourism around the world; develops pilgrimage tourism for community integration, faith-sharing, perseverance, tolerance, and peace; and identifies new issues scopes, challenges, and entrepreneurial opportunities for pilgrimage tourism that are relevant and important for future pilgrimages with larger intensity and frequency. Covering key topics such as pilgrimage economy, social media, and tourism, this premier reference source is ideal for policymakers, social scientists, managers, business owners, industry professionals, researchers, academicians, scholars, practitioners, instructors, and students.

This edited volume serves as the second instalment of a two-part title that aims to provide an academic exploration of the contemporary issues and perspectives on tourism in the Philippines. With a strong geographical focus, and drawn from a range of inter/multidisciplinary approaches, this book aims to provide a timely and critical investigation of issues surrounding Philippine host communities, Filipino travellers, and foreign tourists to the country. This book will serve as a platform to engage with mostly Filipino scholars allowing them to present their voices and perspectives on a range of local tourism issues, in support of cultivating a ‘culture of research’ in the Philippine academia. This book is one of the first country-focused volumes under the series, Perspectives on Asian Tourism. This book is composed of contributions drawn from the works of Filipino academics based in the Philippines and overseas institutions researching tourism issues in the Philippines. This book's contributions are drawn from a diverse set of disciplines including, but not limited to sociology, anthropology, mass communications, feminist and gender studies, cultural studies, history, and tourism and hospitality studies. Comprising chapters based on conceptual and empirical research, this edited book is divided into four parts: first, an introduction to tourism and the Filipino culture and society; second, case studies on the dynamics and impacts of tourism in local communities; third, an investigation of tourists’ gaze and experiences of Philippine destinations; and fourth, Filipino researchers’ reflexive gaze upon events, festivals, and culinary heritage in a tourism context. This book provides a collection of previously unexplored facets of Philippine tourism, Filipina tourists, and host communities, and could become an essential reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students, researchers, educators and policy-makers in tourism.

Addressing a dearth of literature in this area, this book provides a comprehensive overview and framework of study of the politics of religious tourism. Existing work shows awareness that politics is present but the approach has been one of benign neglect, and/or a priori assumptions about the role of politics in the management of sacred sites. Previous literature is fragmented into various perspectives and approaches that best serve different disciplinary interests. By understanding the politics of religious tourism through the various perspectives and approaches from the discipline of political science, law, public policy, and other fields. This book will be of great interest to researchers and students of religious tourism, pilgrimage, as well as related subjects such as political science, economics, sociology, tourism, law studies, and religious studies.

People in general and pilgrims in particular go on pilgrimages to temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras for worshipping their religious gods and goddesses. But, tourism and pilgrimage are intertwined with little differences. Religious tourism is based on time involved and distance travelled namely short- and long-term religious tourism. The short-term type involves travel to nearby pilgrimage centres or religious conferences, or religious discourses while the long-term religious tourism involves travel to religious sites and religious conferences around the world. Pilgrimage is “the result of a vow”. India is a land of temples, mosques and churches. They play significant role in the development of any economy. Temples in India, particularly in Tamil Nadu play different roles such as redistributors of income, producer, consumer, land-owner, employer, trustee, tourist centre, religious, cultural, social and economic institution. Pilgrimage is aimed to attain moksha - the ultimate aim of individual. Moreover, pilgrimage tourism is considered as an instrument of stress relief, and it is one of the most understudied and least researched areas in tourism and leisure economics. With this backdrop, the book “Pilgrimage Tourism in India” is initiated with the following objectives viz: to examine socio-economic, cultural and environmental profiles of pilgrim tourists and local residents of Palani town and temple environs; to identify factors determining pilgrimage tourism and to examine perceptions of pilgrims on the socio-economic overheads, facilities and services exist at Palani town and temple environs; to gauge the perceptions of local residents on social, economic, cultural and environmental impacts of pilgrimage tourism to Palani town and temple environs; and to identify problems emerging from pilgrimage tourism and economic changes to local residents and to make suggestions for policy for pilgrimage tourism, benefiting both the pilgrims and the local residents of Palani town and temple environs.Contents : Introduction, Role of Tourism in Economic Development, Realities of Pilgrimage Tourism, Pilgrimage Tourism in Tamil Nadu—A Case Study, Socio-Economic Analysis of Pilgrimage Tourism, Conclusion.

The Routledge Handbook of Religious and Spiritual Tourism provides a robust and comprehensive state-of-the-art review of the literature in this growing sub-field of tourism. This handbook is split into five distinct sections. The first section covers past and present debates regarding definitions, theories, and concepts related to religious and spiritual tourism. Subsequent sections focus on the supply and demand aspects of religious and spiritual tourism markets, and examine issues related to the management side of these markets around the world. Areas under examination include religious theme parks, the UNESCO branding of religious heritage, gender and performance, popular culture, pilgrimage, environmental impacts, and fear and terrorism, among many others. The final section explores emerging and future directions in religious and spiritual tourism, and proposes an agenda for further research. Interdisciplinary in coverage and international in scope through its authorship and content, this will be essential reading for all students, researchers, and academics interested in Tourism, Religion, Cultural Studies, and Heritage Studies.