Location
Monserrat
Start Date
25-6-2026 9:30 AM
End Date
25-6-2026 11:00 AM
Description
The rapid advancement of generative artificial intelligence (AI) is beginning to redefine narrative construction in religious tourism marketing, creating new opportunities for digital engagement while also raising critical ethical concerns. As religious destinations increasingly adopt AI-enabled storytelling tools, ranging from conversational agents to multimodal generative systems, the nature of narrative authenticity, cultural sensitivity, and visitor perception is being significantly reshaped. Recent work on AI-driven religious tourism indicates that AI-enabled conversational agents influence tourists’ cognitive and affective evaluations, shaping memorable religious tourism experiences and future engagement intentions, highlighting the transformative potential of AI in sacred contexts. Likewise, studies examining AI-driven strategies in religious destinations demonstrate that chatbots, predictive analytics, and immersive virtual tours enhance visitor satisfaction and support sustainable community development, suggesting substantial benefits for destination marketing organisations (Kumcu et al., 2026; Alharbi et al., 2025).
The study employs a secondary qualitative methodology, analysing a wide range of existing documentary sources, including: (1) AI‐generated narratives and content produced by cultural heritage platforms; (2) religious tourism marketing materials and destination management publications; (3) previous empirical studies on AI‐mediated storytelling; and (4) regulatory, policy, and ethical guidelines concerning AI use in tourism communication. This approach allows for a comprehensive and contextualised examination of how AI‐generated narratives are currently framed, regulated, and interpreted across different cultural and religious environments. The expected outcomes of the study include: (1) the development of a contextualised ethical narrative framework identifying opportunities for enhanced engagement alongside areas of heightened ethical sensitivity; (2) the creation of a risk assessment matrix for evaluating distortions, cultural insensitivities, and potential narrative inaccuracies within AI‐generated religious tourism content; and (3) the formulation of evidence‐based guidelines to support religious tourism marketers, policymakers, and cultural heritage organisations in implementing AI responsibly.
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Included in
B2) AI Generated Narratives in Religious Tourism Marketing: Opportunities and Ethical Risks
Monserrat
The rapid advancement of generative artificial intelligence (AI) is beginning to redefine narrative construction in religious tourism marketing, creating new opportunities for digital engagement while also raising critical ethical concerns. As religious destinations increasingly adopt AI-enabled storytelling tools, ranging from conversational agents to multimodal generative systems, the nature of narrative authenticity, cultural sensitivity, and visitor perception is being significantly reshaped. Recent work on AI-driven religious tourism indicates that AI-enabled conversational agents influence tourists’ cognitive and affective evaluations, shaping memorable religious tourism experiences and future engagement intentions, highlighting the transformative potential of AI in sacred contexts. Likewise, studies examining AI-driven strategies in religious destinations demonstrate that chatbots, predictive analytics, and immersive virtual tours enhance visitor satisfaction and support sustainable community development, suggesting substantial benefits for destination marketing organisations (Kumcu et al., 2026; Alharbi et al., 2025).
The study employs a secondary qualitative methodology, analysing a wide range of existing documentary sources, including: (1) AI‐generated narratives and content produced by cultural heritage platforms; (2) religious tourism marketing materials and destination management publications; (3) previous empirical studies on AI‐mediated storytelling; and (4) regulatory, policy, and ethical guidelines concerning AI use in tourism communication. This approach allows for a comprehensive and contextualised examination of how AI‐generated narratives are currently framed, regulated, and interpreted across different cultural and religious environments. The expected outcomes of the study include: (1) the development of a contextualised ethical narrative framework identifying opportunities for enhanced engagement alongside areas of heightened ethical sensitivity; (2) the creation of a risk assessment matrix for evaluating distortions, cultural insensitivities, and potential narrative inaccuracies within AI‐generated religious tourism content; and (3) the formulation of evidence‐based guidelines to support religious tourism marketers, policymakers, and cultural heritage organisations in implementing AI responsibly.