Religion and Tourism

There is a surprising overlap between religion and tourism as revealed in this many-faceted study. The relationship between tourism and pilgrimage springs immediately to mind, and there has been a huge increase in pilgrimages to sacred sites over the last 20 years, corresponding to the metaphor of the life journey. It was not until the late 19th century with Thomas Cook that tourism became more widespread, extending beyond the grand tour made by well-to-do young people in previous eras. Sacred places have always drawn people, but now other festivals and events may also take place there. Other contexts include museums, theme parks and island paradises, as well as exposure to different cultures and customs including ritual, worship and dance. Guide books help us navigate the possibilities, and we bring back souvenirs from these trips. This book shows that the field is much wider than one would suppose and promotes tourism as a new focus of research for religious studies.