Religious tourism
Encyclopedia
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
, whereby people of faith travel individually or in groups for pilgrimage, missionary, or leisure (fellowship) purposes. The world's largest form of mass religious tourism takes place at the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. North American religious tourists comprise an estimated $10 billion of this industry.
Modern religious tourists are more able to visit holy cities
Holy city
Holy city is a synonym applied to many cities, all of them central to the history or faith of specific religions. Such cities may also contain at least one headquarters complex which constitutes a major destination of human...
and holy sites around the world. The most famous holy cities are Jerusalem, Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
, and Varanasi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
. The most famous holy sites are the Church of the Nativity
Church of the Nativity
The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is one of the oldest continuously operating churches in the world. The structure is built over the cave that tradition marks as the birthplace of Jesus of Nazareth, and thus it is considered sacred by Christians...
, The Western Wall
Western Wall
The Western Wall, Wailing Wall or Kotel is located in the Old City of Jerusalem at the foot of the western side of the Temple Mount...
, Brahma Temple at Pushkar, and the Kaaba
Kaaba
The Kaaba is a cuboid-shaped building in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and is the most sacred site in Islam. The Qur'an states that the Kaaba was constructed by Abraham, or Ibraheem, in Arabic, and his son Ishmael, or Ismaeel, as said in Arabic, after he had settled in Arabia. The building has a mosque...
. Religious tourism has existed since antiquity, and unlike commercial tourism, is not done for exclusively hedonistic purposes. A study in 2011 found that pilgrim
Pilgrim
A pilgrim is a traveler who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journeying to some place of special significance to the adherent of a particular religious belief system...
s visited Jerusalem for a few reasons: to understand and appreciate their religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
through a tangible experience, to feel secure about their religious beliefs, and to connect personally to the holy city
Holy city
Holy city is a synonym applied to many cities, all of them central to the history or faith of specific religions. Such cities may also contain at least one headquarters complex which constitutes a major destination of human...
.
Tourism segments
Religious tourism comprises many facets of the travel industry including:- PilgrimagePilgrimageA pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
s - MissionaryMissionaryA missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
travel - Leisure (fellowship) vacations
- Faith-based cruising
- Crusades, conventionConvention (meeting)A convention, in the sense of a meeting, is a gathering of individuals who meet at an arranged place and time in order to discuss or engage in some common interest. The most common conventions are based upon industry, profession, and fandom...
s and rallies - Retreats
- MonasteryMonasteryMonastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
visits and guest-stays - Faith-based camps
- Religious tourist attractionTourist attractionA tourist attraction is a place of interest where tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, or amusement opportunities....
s
Statistics
Although no definitive study has been completed on worldwide religious tourism, some segments of the industry have been measured:- According to the World Tourism OrganizationWorld Tourism OrganizationThe World Tourism Organization , based in Madrid, Spain, is a United Nations agency dealing with questions relating to tourism. It compiles the World Tourism rankings. The World Tourism Organization is a significant global body, concerned with the collection and collation of statistical information...
, an estimated 300 to 330 million pilgrims visit the world's key religious sites every year. - According to the U.S. Office of Travel and Tourism Industries, Americans traveling overseas for "religious or pilgrimage" purposes has increased from 491,000 travelers in 2002 to 633,000 travelers in 2005 (30% increase).
- According to the Religious Conference Management Association, in 2006 more than 14.7 million people attended religious meetings (RCMA members), an increase of more than 10 million from 1994 with 4.4 million attendees. http://meetingsnet.com/religiousconferencemanager/mag/meetings_rcma_member_survey_2/
- The United Methodist ChurchUnited Methodist ChurchThe United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
experienced an increase of 455% in mission volunteers from 1992 with almost 20,000 volunteers compared to 110,000 volunteers in 2006. - The Christian Camp and Conference Association states that more than eight million people are involved in CCCA member camps and conferences, including more than 120,000 churches. http://www.ccca.org/public/about/aboutus.asp
- Religious attractions including Sight & Sound Theatre attracts 800,000 visitors a year while the Holy Land Experience and Focus on the Family Welcome Center each receives about 250,000 guests annually. http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2006-01-26-faith-based-travel_x.htm
- 50,000 churches in the United States with religious travel programs
- One-quarter (25%) of travelers said they were currently interested in taking a spiritual vacation. http://www.tia.org/pressmedia/pressrec.asp?Item=736
Hindu religious tourism centres in India
The major Hindu religious tourism centres in India are:-- VaranasiVaranasi-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
, Uttar Pradesh - HaridwarHaridwarHaridwar is an important pilgrimage city and municipality in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India...
, Uthranchal. - Thirupathi temple, Andhra Pradesh.
- Akshar Dham, Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat.
- Amarnath Temple, Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir.
- Somnath Temple, Gujarat.
- Vaishnodevi Temple, Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir.
- Kailash Temple, Aurangabad, Maharashtra.
- Sun Temple, Konark, Orissa.
- Chidambaram Temple, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu.
- Mahabalipuram Temple, Tamil Nadu.
- Rameswaram Temple, Tamil Nadu.
- Meenakshi Temple, Madurai, Tamil Nadu.
- Badarinath Temple, Uthranchal.
- Naina Devi Temple, Bilaspur, Himachalpradesh.
- Sabarimala Temple, Pathanamthitta, Kerala.
- Guruvayoor Temple, Guruvayoor, Trichur, Kerala
- Kodungallor Temple, Trichur, Kerala
- Chettikulangara Temple, Mavelikkara, Kerala.
- Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Trivandrum, Kerala.
- Dakshineswar Kali temple Temple, Kolkata, West Bengal.
- Kalighat Kali Mandir, Kolkata, West Bengal.
- Hanseswari Temple, Bansberia, Hooghli, West Bengal.
- Puri Temple, Orissa
Sikh religious tourism centres in India
There are many beautiful GurdwaraGurdwara
A Gurdwara , meaning the Gateway to the Guru, is the place of worship for Sikhs, the followers of Sikhism. A Gurdwara can be identified from a distance by tall flagpoles bearing the Nishan Sahib ....
s around the world. The Harmandir Sahib
Harmandir Sahib
The Harmandir Sahib also Darbar Sahib , also referred to as the Golden Temple, is a prominent Sikh gurdwara located in the city of Amritsar, Punjab . Construction of the gurdwara was begun by Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh Guru, and completed by his successor, Guru Arjan Dev...
in Amritsar
Amritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
, India - also known as the Golden Temple - is the most visited Gurdwara in the world. It is the most popular visited religious centre in India, more than the Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is a white Marble mausoleum located in Agra, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal...
.
Further reading
- Razaq Raj and Nigel D. Morpeth, Religious tourism and pilgrimage festivals management : an international perspective, CABI, 2007
- Dallen J. Timothy and Daniel H. Olsen, Tourism, religion and spiritual journeys, Routledge, 2006
External links
- Religious Travel Directory
- Faith Travel Expo
- Encyclopedia of Religion and Society – Religious Tourism
- South-East Asian Tourism Organisation A new South-east Asian based organisation looking at ways to use other initiatives to spread the benefits of tourism more widely.
- Destination of the World News
- Forbes Traveler: Greatest Religious Tours
- USA TODAY: 10 Great Places to Market Christianity's Holiest Day
- CBS Early Show: Rest, relaxation, & religion
- TIME Magazine: Spirit and adventure
- USA TODAY: On a wing and a prayer
- The New York Times: 21st-century religious travel, Leave the sackcloth at home
- The Los Angeles Times: More agencies are serving the flock - religious travelers
- Belief.net: Companies see increased interest in spiritual tours
- Rocky Mountain News: In the footsteps of the faithful
- The Grand Rapids Press: Spiritual journeys take off in the travel industry
- Yahoo! Business Traveler: Keeping the Faith
- Washington Post: Seeking answers with field trips in faith
- Nassau Guardian (Bahamas): Religious niche being targeted by Bahamas Ministry