Promotion of Religious Tourism in Pakistan through Destination Marketing Strategies

Authors

Noor-ul- Huda, Riphah International University, IslamabadFollow
Musa Khan, a: Riphah International University, Islamabad, b: Academy of Korean Studies, South KoreaFollow
Noman Ahmed Ansari, Rawalpindi Women University, PakistanFollow

Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9437-7057

Abstract

The aim of this study is to identify the key factors that attract religious tourists to Pakistan and the strategies that are effective in promoting religious tourism. The paper takes a comprehensive approach to guide Pakistan’s development by evaluating international literature, focusing on religious tourism as a pivotal source of revenue. The study explores diversification prospects, aiming to equip policymakers and tourism authorities with actionable insights. This research establishes the groundwork for realising the economic, social, and cultural potential of religious tourism in Pakistan by studying marketing techniques using a qualitative methodology, examining revival approaches, and investigating cutting-edge communication technologies. A systematic literature review informs the evaluation, identifying successful branding tactics and their applicability in Pakistan. Initially, 80 publications were screened, but after applying inclusion/exclusion criteria, 65 papers were selected for in-depth analysis. Search terms such as ‘strategies,’ ‘religious tourism,’ ‘spiritual tourism,’ ‘destination marketing strategies,’ ‘tourism promotion,’ and ‘pilgrimage’ were used to narrow down the search across various databases. The study followed interpretivist and narrative synthesis approaches to identify patterns, trends, and relationships in destination marketing strategies for religious tourism worldwide. The findings were compared with branding tactics in Pakistan to assess their effectiveness, concluding with grounded theory-based implications and recommendations for tourism stakeholders, policymakers, and researchers. The overall strategy presented in this paper aims to maximise the potential for religious tourism in Pakistan while fostering intercultural dialogue, religious peace, and socioeconomic development.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Huda, Noor-ul-; Khan, Musa; and Ansari, Noman Ahmed (2025) "Promotion of Religious Tourism in Pakistan through Destination Marketing Strategies," International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage: Vol. 13: Iss. 3, Article 7.
doi:https://doi.org/10.21427/q2r8-xy42
Available at: https://arrow.tudublin.ie/ijrtp/vol13/iss3/7

DOI

https://doi.org/10.21427/q2r8-xy42