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Religious Tourism: Industry Dynamics, Emerging Trends and Contemporary Issues book cover

1st Edition

Religious Tourism Industry Dynamics, Emerging Trends and Contemporary Issues

Edited By Tzung-Cheng (TC) Huan, Anestis K. Fotiadis, Nikolaos (Niko) Stylos Copyright 2025
    224 Pages
    by Routledge

    This book traces the evolving landscape of religious travel, ranging from the responses of the tourism industry to Muslim travellers to the emergence of halal tourism trends.

    Part I of the book examines the dynamics between religion and tourism, including the commodification of heritage and the symbiotic relationship between religion and economics. Part II delves into emerging trends and contemporary challenges, such as the impact of COVID-19 on sacred journeys and the integration of virtual reality into religious tourism experiences. The final part of the book explores diverse religious tourism experiences, from Islamic tourism to Jewish pilgrimages, providing a rich tapestry of insights into this fascinating aspect of travel.

    Whether examining the commodification of religious heritage or delving into the motivations behind Sikh pilgrimage, this volume provides a comprehensive overview of the industry dynamics, emerging trends, and contemporary issues shaping religious tourism today.  Engaging and enlightening, Religious Tourism: Industry Dynamics, Emerging Trends and Contemporary Issues is essential reading for scholars, practitioners, and enthusiasts seeking a deeper understanding of this fascinating intersection of faith and travel.

    The chapters in this book were originally published in Tourism Recreation Research.

    Introduction

    Tzung-Cheng (TC) Huan, Anestis K. Fotiadis and Nikolaos (Niko) Stylos

     

    Part I: Religious Tourism and Industry Dynamics

    1. Muslim travellers, tourism industry responses and the case of Japan

    Joan C. Henderson

     

    2. Facilitating self-development: how tour guides broker spiritual tourist experiences

    Hannah Parsons, Susan Houge Mackenzie & Sebastian Filep

     

    3. The trends, opportunities and challenges of halal tourism: a systematic literature review

    Tareq Rasul

     

    4. Halal tourism: looking into the future through the past

    Girish Prayag

     

    5. Heritage, Tourism, and the Commodification of Religion

    Daniel H. Olsen

     

    6. Religion, Tourism and Economics: A Convenient Symbiosis

    Boris Vukonic

     

    Part II: Emerging Trends and Contemporary Issues in Religious Tourism

     

    7. What can online reviews reveal about Tourism Destination Image? A netnographic approach to a pilgrim destination in India

    Naresh Nayak, Reni Polus and Senthilkumaran Piramanayagam

     

    8. ‘Reverse gaze’ in spiritual tourism: fact or myth?

    Reni Polus

     

    9. Understanding senior citizens’ intentions to use virtual reality for religious tourism in India: a behavioural reasoning theory perspective

    Sahil Raj, Brinda Sampat, Abhishek Behl and Kokil Jain

     

    10. Angels of the night: exploring street-aid volunteer tourists and faith-based volunteer tourism

    Konstantinos Tomazos

     

    11. Challenges and opportunities for sacred journeys: a media representation of the impact of COVID-19

    Ismail Shaheer, Naresh Nayak and Reni Polus

     

    12. Oral tradition, ancient history and religious tourism knowledge

    Stephen Schweinsberg and Richard Sharpley

     

    13. Religious tourism studies: evolution, progress, and future prospects

    Bona Kim, Seongseop (Sam) Kim and Brian King

     

    Part III: Discovering Diverse Religious Tourism

     

    14. Islamic Tourism Reviewed

    Joan C. Henderson

     

    15. Pilgrimages of Nostalgia: Patterns of Jewish Travel in the United States

    Dimitri Ioannides and Mara W. Cohen Ioannides

     

    16. Understanding Sikh Pilgrimage

    Rajinder S. Jutla

     

    17. Contested Religious Heritage: Differing Views of Mormon Heritage

    Daniel H. Olsen and Dallen J. Timothy

     

    18. Social interaction in visitor control at a Chinese Buddhist monastic site

    Cora Un In Wong

     

    Biography

    Tzung-Cheng (TC) Huan is Professor at National Chiayi University, Taiwan. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of Tourism Recreation Research and a member of the UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organization) Panel of Tourism Experts. He has been honored by the 2011-2012 Outstanding Reviewer Award from Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, the 2013, 2017, and 2018 Emerald Literati Awards, and the 2018 Publons Peer Review Award.

    Anestis K. Fotiadis is Full Professor at Zayed University, College of Business, Department of Management, Abu Dhabi, UAE. His main area of research is associated with tourism management, event management, hospitality management and sustainable development. He has published more than 40 research papers in international academic journals such as Annals of Tourism Research, Tourism Management, Journal of Business Research and others.

    Nikolaos (Niko) Stylos is Senior Lecturer in Marketing at the University of Bristol Business School, UK and Honorary Professor of Hospitality Management at Tainan University of Technology, Taiwan, He is an internationally recognised and awarded scholar specialising in marketing innovation, and digital transformation in the service industries.

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