Religious tourism – a review of the literature

Abstract

Purpose Given the growing importance of religious tourism, the purpose of this paper is to present a review of the literature around the area. Design/methodology/approach All papers with the term “religious tourism” have been searched via Emerald Insight from January 2006 to December 2017. The search was run in June 2017 for the last time and all early cite papers falling under the criteria were also included. This has ensured that key literature produced after the seminal work by Timothy and Olsen (Eds) (2006) has been reviewed. Certain exclusions apply which have been listed in the paper. Findings Key themes from the literature on religious tourism along with new developments and overlaps with other tourism sectors have been highlighted. Originality/value This paper reviews literature spanning more than a decade on religious tourism.

How Authentic Experience Affects Traditional Religious Tourism Development: Evidence from the Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage, Taiwan

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Social-cultural sustainability of roots tourism in Calabria, Italy: A tourist perspective

“…As the literature explains, some places commit the error of transforming their traditions to satisfy the needs of the tourism industry. This is damaging to both the community and the tourist experience (George, 2010; Rashid, 2018).…”

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“…Religious tourismvisit to sacred places in a given countryis a huge market that significantly contributes in the revenue of many countries. Churches, mosques, temples, shrines, synagogues, gurdwaras and other sites of religious significance attract hundreds and thousands of tourists globally [1]. Religious tourism takes full swing in certain months and results in mass religious gatherings (MRGs) which pose a significant public health risk in context of the potential spread of infections across the borders and within the communities.…”