Location
Monserrat
Start Date
24-6-2026 4:15 PM
End Date
24-6-2026 5:00 PM
Description
Since the 1980s, scholars and organizations including the World Tourism Organization—have discussed how tourism can contribute to international understanding and peacebuilding among the peoples of the world (Moufakkir & Kelly, 2010). Tourism is not only an economic and social activity; it also has the potential to build bridges between diverse cultures and break down barriers that separate societies. Tourism can therefore serve as an avenue for promoting human fraternity and encouraging positive interreligious dialogue. As Jafari (1989, p. 154) argues, tourism has the potential to build bridges and reduce the cultural distances separating people of different races, cultures, and religions.
More recently, scholars and practitioners have begun to examine the specific role of religious tourism in promoting a culture of peace, interfaith dialogue, and human fraternity (McIntosh, Farra-Haddad, & Munro, 2020). In Peace Journeys, the authors highlight new directions in the study of religious tourism and pilgrimage, emphasizing their potential contributions to peacebuilding, reconciliation, and interreligious encounters. Religious tourism today is increasingly interconnected with ecotourism, wellbeing tourism, and solidarity tourism. It responds to a wide range of motivations and attracts visitors who are not necessarily faith-oriented but are interested in cultural diversity and experiences in nature. In this way, religious tourism can foster mutual understanding and respect among people as well as a deeper appreciation of the natural environment.
Even when it is not the primary motivation for travel, religious tourism and pilgrimage often bring visitors into contact with different beliefs, rituals, and sacred places. Such encounters expose travelers to spiritual traditions other than their own, helping to reduce stereotypes and misunderstandings that may lead to intolerance or fanaticism. In this way, religious tourism can encourage dialogue, cultural exchange, and mutual understanding, contributing to stronger connections between communities and fostering a culture of peace in an increasingly interconnected world.
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Included in
Religious Tourism Promoting a Culture of Peace, Interfaith Dialogue, and Human Fraternity
Monserrat
Since the 1980s, scholars and organizations including the World Tourism Organization—have discussed how tourism can contribute to international understanding and peacebuilding among the peoples of the world (Moufakkir & Kelly, 2010). Tourism is not only an economic and social activity; it also has the potential to build bridges between diverse cultures and break down barriers that separate societies. Tourism can therefore serve as an avenue for promoting human fraternity and encouraging positive interreligious dialogue. As Jafari (1989, p. 154) argues, tourism has the potential to build bridges and reduce the cultural distances separating people of different races, cultures, and religions.
More recently, scholars and practitioners have begun to examine the specific role of religious tourism in promoting a culture of peace, interfaith dialogue, and human fraternity (McIntosh, Farra-Haddad, & Munro, 2020). In Peace Journeys, the authors highlight new directions in the study of religious tourism and pilgrimage, emphasizing their potential contributions to peacebuilding, reconciliation, and interreligious encounters. Religious tourism today is increasingly interconnected with ecotourism, wellbeing tourism, and solidarity tourism. It responds to a wide range of motivations and attracts visitors who are not necessarily faith-oriented but are interested in cultural diversity and experiences in nature. In this way, religious tourism can foster mutual understanding and respect among people as well as a deeper appreciation of the natural environment.
Even when it is not the primary motivation for travel, religious tourism and pilgrimage often bring visitors into contact with different beliefs, rituals, and sacred places. Such encounters expose travelers to spiritual traditions other than their own, helping to reduce stereotypes and misunderstandings that may lead to intolerance or fanaticism. In this way, religious tourism can encourage dialogue, cultural exchange, and mutual understanding, contributing to stronger connections between communities and fostering a culture of peace in an increasingly interconnected world.