International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

ISSN: 2009-7379 doi: 10.21427/D7VC7D

Current Issue

Volume 14, Issue 2 (2026)View issue

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Current Articles

    • Academic Paper1 January 2026

      Modern Day Saints and the Production of a Contemporary Pilgrimage Site: Comparative Analysis of St. Pio of San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy and Sai Baba of Shirdi, India

      Kiran Shinde, Anna Trono
      Places valorised by saints have attracted pilgrimage for a long time as devotion to saints is a way to achieve both material wellbeing and spiritual growth. Yet, the cult following of modern-day saints in contemporary societies has become a topic for exploration only in recent years (Di Giovine, 2010; Shinde & Pinkney; 2013, Srinivas, 2008). A few excellent hagiographies discuss the material and non-material world created around charismatic modern-day saints with global followership (Waghorne, 2004; Weiss, 2005; Shepherd, 1986). Given the immense popularity of modern-day saints many questions arise- what kind of pilgrimage landscape is created around them? Are they created like those traditionally found in established religious faiths or do they herald new directions while producing newer spaces for pilgrimage practice? This central question is explored in this paper using a cross-culture comparative analysis of sites of two saints that are similar despite belonging to two different religious-cultural contexts: St. Pio of San Giovanni Rotondo in Italy (1887-1968) and Sai Baba of Shirdi in India (c.1880- 1918). There are several commonalities between these two modern-day saints: both were believed to be ‘living saints’ with healing powers; both became popular in a short span of time; both have wide networks of transnational following. The places where the saints found their calling, began to attract visitors, and from small unassuming villages transformed into popular pilgrim towns with a contemporary orientation. These places have a mix of attraction - tomb of the saint, mega shrine to accommodate large congregations, charitable hospital to serve the needy, museums, thus making them more multipurpose places. Moreover, devotion to the saint being the main reason, the paraphernalia of traditional religious rituals and religious functionaries is absent. Instead, lodging and boarding is provided by non-religious (and yet dedicated to the saint) actors and as such tends to be more in the form of hotels, restaurants, and other tour services. Given the rapid pace of development of tourism, there are several critiques about the intense commodification of souvenirs, contestations about heritage, and all things related to such saints (Di Giovine, 2012a; Shinde, 2022). Thus, this paper offers insights about the processes involved in the development of pilgrimage sites dedicated to modern-day saints that are becoming integral to contemporary religiosity.
    • Academic Paper30 April 2026

      From Religious Sites to Cinematographic Sets: Symbolism of Religious Cultural Heritage in the Italian Series ‘Le Indagini di Lolita Lobosco’

      Antonietta Ivona, Lucrezia Lopez
      Cinema and television, as core components of the creative industries, play a crucial role in transforming cultural heritage into meaningful narrative and symbolic resources. This study explores how religious cultural heritage is reconfigured from sacred sites into cinematographic sets, focusing on the Italian television series Le Indagini di Lolita Lobosco, set in Apulia. Drawing on the cultural and spatial turn in geography and media studies, the research examines the symbolic, aesthetic, and spatial functions of religious architecture and sacred landscapes within the series. Churches, monasteries, and coastal sacred spaces are not treated as mere backdrops, but as narrative devices that contribute to the construction of cinematic space and to the articulation of territorial identity. Through a qualitative spatial-semiotic analysis of selected screenscapes, the study shows how religious heritage participates in shaping both the fictional world of the series and the real-world cultural image of Apulia. The findings highlight the role of television fiction in mediating cultural memory and reinterpreting religious heritage as a dynamic element of contemporary spatial storytelling.
    • Academic Paper30 April 2026

      Sacred Steps: Walking, Religion, and the Path to Peace

      Francesca Benna
      Walking is one of the simplest and most primordial human acts, yet it carries profound meanings that transcend cultures, religious traditions, and paths of individual and collective transformation. Walking is not merely a means of movement but a practice that fosters reconnection with oneself, the environment, and the community. Bruce Chatwin, in The Songlines (1987), highlights how nomadism is an inherent human condition, suggesting that movement is essential not only for physical survival but also for mental and spiritual well-being. In an era marked by environmental crises, conflicts, and increasing technological alienation, rediscovering the value of walking responds to a deep need for slowness, awareness, and listening. In religious history, walking has often held ritualistic and symbolic significance. From Buddhist pilgrimages to the spiritual paths of Australian Aboriginal peoples, who weave space, memory, and sacredness through the Songlines, walking has always been an experience of inner transformation and reconciliation with the surrounding reality. The practice of walking as a means of peace and reconciliation will be explored through the analysis of various case studies. First, the Bundian Way, an ancient Aboriginal route linking the Snowy Mountains to the southeastern coast of Australia, will be examined. This path, recently rediscovered and valued, represents a bridge between the historical memory of Indigenous peoples and the process of reconciliation with contemporary society. A second case study will focus on the Buddhist practice of circumambulation (pradakshina), a symbolic gesture expressing devotion and mindfulness through movement around sacred sites such as stupas and mountains. Through an analysis that intertwines anthropological and religious studies, this study aims to reflect on how walking can become not only a daily practice for well-being but also a conscious act of harmonisation with the world and a means of building peace, both on an individual and collective level.
    • Academic Paper30 April 2026

      ‘Clothesure’: The End of the Narrative of a Pilgrim’s Clothes; and How Pilgrim’s Clothes Contribute to Narrative Identity

      Stephen Haller
      This paper provides the story, or narrative, which explains how pilgrim’s-identity is created and endures through the clothes they wear. The closure, or preferred ending, of this story of a pilgrim’s clothes, would be a ceremonious disposal, like burning them. Pilgrims are reluctant to simply throw their clothes, boots, and gear away. This paper is a philosophical reflection on how a pilgrim’s clothes construct the identity of a pilgrim; and how inanimate objects, like clothes, might become meaningful, or even ‘sacred’ in a non-religious way. This comes about because of a decision to treat them that way. We make sense of our lives in terms of stories we tell about them. Narrative is what unifies a life, and chapters of that life, into a whole, with a beginning, middle and end. This unification constructs our identity, and it is how we know we are the same person today as we were 20 years ago. The very process of linking together selected events, that are chosen as relevant, creates a meaning that explains how one event led to another. All stories come to an end, which provides the punctuation of closure which all stories must have. Clothes are part of this unifying narrative. The unique and irreplaceable history of a set of pilgrim clothes—and not their utility-value—is what gives them meaning. In addition, support will be provided for the idea that things can become sacred through history, ritual and ceremony in the context of a community. This applies to pilgrim’s clothes; and it explains a commonplace reluctance to merely get rid of them as one would most things. The narrative of a pilgrim’s clothes comes to a fitting end, a ‘clothesure,’ with a ceremonious disposal rather than a more practical-minded jettison of trash.
    • Academic Paper30 April 2026

      Impact of Mass Tourism on Corsican Religion: Between Spectacularisation and Commercialisation the Case of the Sartène Catenacciu

      Pierre-François Marchiani
      This study aims to question the impact of mass tourism on the religious expression of the Corsicans. In 2012, across France, 44% of cultural tourism had a spiritual and religious aspect, representing around 20 million travellers (Baziou, 2004:336). It is often the discovery of heritage, whether built or intangible, that leads people to engage in this form of ‘religious tourism’. Although arising from good intentions, this form of tourism is accompanied by a process of secularisation that alters the very object being sought. This is what we shall examine through a synchronic and diachronic study of the Catenacciu di Sartène, which appears to constitute a paradigmatic case. Indeed, this ritual has been directly and profoundly affected by the tourist phenomenon, giving rise to both a spectacularisation and a commercialisation of the religious rite.
    • Academic Paper30 April 2026

      Sacred or Sold? A Systems Approach to Balancing Spirituality and Commercialisation in Faith-based Tourism

      Tadeja Jere Jakulin, Dane Munro
      This paper examines the complexity of pilgrimage tourism, with its interdependencies among sacredness, spirituality, and commercialisation at faith-based tourism destinations. We use a Systems Approach to move beyond linear thinking that positions spirituality and commerce as inherently oppositional forces, arguing that pilgrimage destinations function as complex adaptive systems in which spiritual, commercial, and educational objectives interact dynamically. We build Causal Loop Diagrams (CLDs) formed from autoethnographic observation and stakeholder discussions. We present and compare four pilgrimage sites: Lourdes (France), Brezje (Slovenia), Malta, and Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia (Türkiye). The CLD models reveal the dynamics of the pilgrimage sites, the interdependencies, and the interactions among stakeholders (elements of the system). The systems approach demonstrates that successful destinations manage pilgrimage sites as integrated systems in which activities complement and constrain one another through feedback loops. Using a Systems Methodology, the article develops the dynamics of pilgrimage environments and presents a new typology of four pilgrimage (sacred) and commercial (secular) destinations. By advancing knowledge and education, the spiritual-commercial role of the sacred-secular destinations in question offers a different, comprehensive approach to their management.
    • Academic Paper30 April 2026

      Faith, Culture, and Transformation: A Case Study of Tumane Monastery Visitors

      Danijel Pavlović, Marija Bratić, Anđelina Marić Stanković, Ivan Kosta, Dimitrije Plećević
      This study examines the experiences of visitors to Tumane Monastery, one of the most significant Serbian religious and pilgrimage destinations. Located in a peaceful natural setting, Tumane Monastery is renowned for its spiritual significance, rich history, and connection to miraculous events, making it a key religious and cultural destination in the Braničevo District of Eastern Serbia. Its unique blend of sacred heritage and natural beauty attracts pilgrims and tourists seeking spiritual and cultural enrichment. Using a survey-based approach, the research analyses the demographic characteristics, motivations, behaviours, and perceptions of visitors, as well as the personal and spiritual effects of their visits. The survey, distributed to a representative sample of visitors, comprised 25 questions divided into three sections: general demographic information, visit-specific details, and evaluation of experiences. Methodologically, the study adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative analysis of Likert-scale responses with qualitative insights from open-ended questions. The findings highlight the role of Tumane Monastery as a multifaceted destination that offers both spiritual and cultural enrichment. The aim of this research is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the interplay between faith, culture, and transformation in the context of religious tourism, using Tumane Monastery as a case study. By analysing the experiences and perceptions of visitors, the study seeks to underscore the significance of religious and pilgrimage sites in fostering spiritual well-being, cultural and religious appreciation, and community identity.
    • Academic Paper30 April 2026

      Monastic Botanical Gardens: Medicinal Plants, Cultural Heritage, and Tourist Routes

      Polyxeni Moira, Dimitrios Mylonopoulos
      in the natural environment. The natural environment, of which humans are an integral part, served as the first laboratory for the production of medicines. Medicinal botany can be traced back to ancient Greece, continued through ancient Rome, was closely linked to Islamic tradition, and persisted through the rise of Christianity in monasteries, enduring to the present day. Monastic botanical gardens serve as living proof of the relationship between humans, nature, healing, and spirituality. These gardens, which for centuries cultivated plants for medicinal, nutritional, and functional uses, can now be leveraged to promote tourism, cultural heritage, and environmental awareness. This study examines how monasteries and monastic botanical gardens can be integrated into a broader framework of experiential and thematic tourism, appealing to visitors seeking authentic experiences that combine nature, tradition, and spiritual exploration. Following a qualitative research design, the paper employs a multiple case study analysis across three Greek locations, Mount Athos, the Monastery of Chrysopigi, and the Monastery of Mikrokastro. Data were collected through on-site observation, literature review, and analysis of monastic digital archives and distribution networks. The findings indicate that monastic gardens function as ‘living heritage’ and repositories of biodiversity and traditional ecological knowledge. Their successful integration into tourism depends on the preservation of authenticity and the creation of thematic routes that link spiritual heritage with local production. The study highlights significant socio-economic benefits, including the revitalisation of monastic and local economies, job creation, and the self-financing of monument maintenance through the sale of authentic monastic products. The findings offer a practical framework for heritage managers and tourism policymakers to develop sustainable local economies aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
    • Academic Paper30 April 2026

      Killing Bali (Part I) A Journey from God’s Paradise to Human Inferno

      Pierre Fournié, Dr Pierre Fournié
      Tourism is growing and growing fast. Before the pandemic, in 2018, the number of arrivals worldwide reached 1.4 billion arrivals from less than 600 million, twenty years earlier. In many countries, especially in developing ones, tourism is perceived as a unique opportunity, a model of territorial development, possibly a national strategy. In Indonesia, after being elected in 2014, former President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) emphasised the importance of tourism, considered as a strategic sector. It had to become the largest exchange currency contributor to Indonesia’s revenue thus bypassing rubber, coal, oil and gas (Fournié & Dou, 2018). In the collective awareness of tourists, Bali remains the place to go in the archipelago. International visitors praise the beautiful landscapes and paddy fields of Bali; the uniqueness of its Hindu and Buddhist cultures. In 2018, the ‘island of the Gods’ ranked within the twenty best destinations in the Global Destination Cities Index with more than 8 million visitors; fourth in Trip Advisor, ranking just behind Paris, London, and Roma. Such a performance, and the associated revenues, prompted the governmental decision to develop ‘10 new Bali’ across the country. Unfortunately, a closer picture offers a different reality. If foreign visitors fill the pockets of some happy few, tourism appears on its back side as ‘a factory of poverty’ and a destructive force. Bali is a place where the various types of tourism frequently clash. Religious tourism faces mass tourism; nature lovers discover landscapes spoiled by hotels and residences. Drug business and gangs flourish whereas at the same time the authenticity of the local culture vanishes. Worse, at a time when scientific results indicate major changes in weather, agriculture, water availability; tourism may impact the specific identity, destroy the unique character, the networks of complicity and mutual aid that make the cement of the island (Fournié & Dou, 2020). This article intends to revisit the evolution of Bali in the last 100 years. By using Strategic Intelligence, focusing on Bali’s religious and cultural roots, it will aim at proposing a sustainable but most of all resilient model of development. Time is running to stop the killing of Bali and the disappearance of a unique culture, its religious sanctuaries and pilgrimages. Also, the current study will be organised around two articles. The first one (Part I) presented hereinafter will review the history of tourism in Bali and stresses the promises that had been made by political rulers and investors to preserve the essence of the Balinese culture: the Tri Hita Karana (THK). A future article (Part II) will elaborate on the situation as of 2025. And determine in a factual manner if the initial dream has been preserved or in other words if Bali remains as a God’s paradise or has become a Human’s inferno. The combination of both intends to answer the following questions: what was the process that transformed a ‘barbaric island’ into ‘the place to go’ in less than fifty years? Was the development of Bali a positive gift from the Western world to Balinese people? Can we, by using Economic and Strategic Intelligence, forecast what the future of the island will be?
    • Academic Paper30 April 2026

      Motivation, Tourists’ Activity-based Engagement and Place Attachment: An Exploratory Study of Religious Attractions in Less Prominent Religious Destinations

      Po Man Tse, Yan Pui Lee, Sau Ying Ho, Shun Mun Wong, Chi Lok Tai
      This study explores the relationship between tourist motivation and tourist activity-based engagement, considering the mediating effect of place attachment in the visitation of religious attractions in less prominent religious destinations. A quantitative approach was applied, with 319 questionnaires distributed at Hong Kong’s two most popular religious sites: Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple and the Big Buddha. The analysis showed that place attachment is an important mediator between tourist motivation and engagement. In the Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple case, the mediator counteracts the negative direct effect between tourist motivation and immersed involvement. A full mediating effect was observed between motivation and immersed involvement in the Big Buddha case. Additionally, significant differences were found in how the two religious destinations were perceived in terms of certain motivation and place attachment aspects.

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    14 November 2014

    The Effects of Terrorism on the Travel and Tourism Industry

    David Baker
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  • Editorial
    27 February 2018

    The Importance of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage: reflecting on definitions, motives and data

    Kevin Griffin, Razaq Raj
    This discussion paper explores the topic of religious tourism and pilgrimage, examining it from a tourism industry perspective, reflecting on definitions, motivations and scale of the ‘product’ as reported at a global level. Mindful of the fact that international records of religious tourism are scant to say the least, this is an attempt to bring together definitions, classifications and data which come from a variety of sources. The paper draws together understandings from different religious traditions, presenting data and motivations on a variety of pilgrimage types. As the paper demonstrates, this ‘niche’ product is indeed enormous, and if industry projections are correct, is set to become an even more important element of international travel and tourism.
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  • Academic Paper
    17 March 2022

    Environmental Impact of the Hajj

    Abdullah Abonomi, Terry De Lacy, Joanne Pyke
    Every year, millions of Muslim worshippers visit Mecca in Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj which is the fifth and last pillar of Islam. In 2018, Mecca hosted more than 2,300,000 people from around 183 different countries and cultures. Based on the objective of Vision 2030 of the Saudi Arabian government, the number of pilgrims was planned to grow to 2.5 million in 2020, and the rate of increase was projected to be 13% per year. This goal, however, has not been achieved due to Covid-19. The pandemic forced the government to severely reduce the number of pilgrims in 2020 to 10,000. Ultimately, this situation will not last forever and visitor numbers should continue to rise. Tourism, especially religious tourism such as the Hajj, is expected to boost the economy and create new jobs for Saudi youth in the services sector. Yet, despite the many benefits of pilgrimage, the Hajj itself has adverse environmental impacts. The activities of the Hajj generate considerable solid and liquid waste, use large quantities of scarce fresh water and produce high levels of greenhouse gasses (GHGs) emissions. This paper provides an overview of the environmental impacts created by Hajj 2018 activities and estimates carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-e) emissions from municipal solid wastes, travel (air and land) and electricity generation (accommodation and fresh water desalination), using a range of estimation techniques based on data collected across the different Hajj activities. These findings indicate environmental impacts of the Hajj are significant, highlighting the need for action to improve environmental sustainability.
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    The Role of Religious Tourism in Creating Destination Image: The Case of Konya Museum

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    17 March 2022

    Socio-cultural and Economic Impacts of Religious Festivals on Sustainable Local Community Livelihoods in Kerala: The Case of Palakkad

    Dr. Bindu V T Nair, Aiswarya N
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    4 May 2018

    Pilgrimage-Tourism: Common Themes in Different Religions

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