Two ways in which the commodification of religion and religious built heritage occurs are discussed: (1) through tourism pressures on sacred sites and customs; and (2) and when religious groups commodify their doctrines, customs, and... more
Two ways in which the commodification of religion and religious built heritage occurs are discussed: (1) through tourism pressures on sacred sites and customs; and (2) and when religious groups commodify their doctrines, customs, and beliefs for economic gain (eg, the selling ...
The remarkable growth in religious tourism across the world has generated considerable interest in the impacts of this type of tourism. Focusing here on environmental issues, this book moves beyond the documentation of environmental... more
The remarkable growth in religious tourism across the world has generated considerable interest in the impacts of this type of tourism. Focusing here on environmental issues, this book moves beyond the documentation of environmental impacts to examine in greater depth the intersections between religious tourism and the environment. Beginning with an in-depth introduction that highlights the intersections between religion, tourism, and the environment, the book then focuses on the environment as a resource or generator for religious tourism and as a recipient of the impacts of religious tourism. Chapters included discuss such important areas as theological views, environmental responsibility, and host perspectives.
Covering as many cultural and environmental regions as possible, this book provides:
-An in-depth yet holistic view of the relationships between religious tourism and the environment; -A conceptual framework that goes beyond listing potential environment impacts; -A strong focus on explaining the universality of the deeper environmental issues surrounding sacredness and sacred places; -A discussion of the role of disease and health-related issues at mass religious gatherings.
From a global writing team and featuring case studies spanning Europe and Asia, this book will be of great interest to researchers and students of tourism and religious studies, as well as those studying environmental issues.
For centuries, people have traveled to sacred sites for multiple reasons, ranging from the performance of religious rituals to curiosity. As the numbers of visitors to religious heritage sites have increased, so has the integration of... more
For centuries, people have traveled to sacred sites for multiple reasons, ranging from the performance of religious rituals to curiosity. As the numbers of visitors to religious heritage sites have increased, so has the integration of religious heritage into tourism supply offerings. There is a growing research agenda focusing on the growth and management of this tourism niche market. However, little research has focused on the role that religious institutions and leadership play in the development of religious heritage tourism. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of religious leaders and the impacts their decisions have on the development of religious heritage tourism through a consideration of three case studies related to recent decisions made by the leadership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
ion of reality (territory), and thus can never fully describe the territory in exact detail (Korzybski 1933: 747-761; Smith 1978a: 289-310). In other words, while the contested space thesis focuses attention on the contested and... more
ion of reality (territory), and thus can never fully describe the territory in exact detail (Korzybski 1933: 747-761; Smith 1978a: 289-310). In other words, while the contested space thesis focuses attention on the contested and power-laden character of spaces in terms of their over their meanings, symbolisms and uses, the thesis (map) does not always match every space (territory), and thus the thesis needs to be very place-specific and historically situated rather than taken as a priori theory (Kong 2001: 226). As Porter and Salazar (2005) suggest, rather than viewing conflict as inherent, scholars should examine, identify, and explain the conditions and particularities of the place under which conflict is introduced. Brace et al. (2006: 31) argue that in order to understand the nature and complexities of religious landscapes, representations and practices, as well as the ontological construction of space and time by religious groups, their temporal and spatial contexts must be tak...
Recommended Citation McIntyre, Elisha and Olsen, Daniel H. (2019) "Missionaries on a Pilgrimage, or Pilgrims on a Mission? Elements of Pilgrimage in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Missionary Experience,"... more
Recommended Citation McIntyre, Elisha and Olsen, Daniel H. (2019) "Missionaries on a Pilgrimage, or Pilgrims on a Mission? Elements of Pilgrimage in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Missionary Experience," International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage: Vol. 7: Iss. 3, Article 2. doi:https://doi.org/10.21427/d8dc-bk05 Available at: https://arrow.tudublin.ie/ijrtp/vol7/iss3/2
The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 has had dramatic effects on both the health and economic stability of countries around the world While several scholars and media commentators have suggested that the pandemic would be a good time to reset an... more
While academics that study religious tourism tend to focus on large-scale events and sites that attract thousands and millions of people, little has been written about small-scale sites that attract very few people but are still... more
While academics that study religious tourism tend to focus on large-scale events and sites that attract thousands and millions of people, little has been written about small-scale sites that attract very few people but are still considered to be a part of religious tourism supply. This presentation focuses on a wayside chapel in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. Located on the side of the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) , this wayside chapel is visited by hundreds of travelers a year who are passing through Brandon. An analysis of guestbook comments over a number of years highlights some of the reasons why people stop and visit this shrine, including curiosity, worship or prayer, a place to rest, and repeat visitation. In the guestbook, visitors commented on a wide variety of topics, including the aesthetics of the chapel; feelings of praise, worship, thankfulness, love for God and others; and pleads for help (e.g., "pray for me"). This case study highlights one of the different...
Religious tourism is part of a multi-billion-dollar tourism niche market. While tourism promoters and religious groups have embraced tourism for monetary gain, some scholars have expressed concerns about the crass commodification of... more
Religious tourism is part of a multi-billion-dollar tourism niche market. While tourism promoters and religious groups have embraced tourism for monetary gain, some scholars have expressed concerns about the crass commodification of religious sites and rituals; that religious symbols and icons have become kitsch with no real meaning. However, these concerns seem to be Eurocentric, in that these same concerns do not seem to be manifest from similar groups in South and East Asia, where religion and commerce have long been intertwined. To illustrate these cultural differences, this paper focuses on the Seven Gods of Good Fortune pilgrimage routes in Japan, which has long been associated with the proliferation of commercialism, individualism, and secularism. The paper discusses expansion of the Seven Gods to include a non-Japanese god of good fortune—Billiken. This newer God of Good Fortune is located in the Tsūtenkaku Tower in Osaka, and was added specifically to the Seven Gods pantheo...
The religious landscape of North America is different from other regions of the world in that not only is there a lack of a highly visible religious elements, but also the idea and practice of pilgrimage and ritual travel is not as... more
The religious landscape of North America is different from other regions of the world in that not only is there a lack of a highly visible religious elements, but also the idea and practice of pilgrimage and ritual travel is not as pervasive as in Europe and Asia. However, there are many human-built and natural spaces marked by Roman Catholics, Protestants, Mormons, Indigenous peoples, and members of other faiths which are subject to either formal or informal pilgrimage-like travel. Visits to these sacred sites have intensified with the rise and expansion of tourism after World War II, conflating pilgrimage-like travel with tourism. As such, there has been an expansion of the term ‘pilgrimage’ to describe the visits of people to sites of historical, political and/or pop culture importance. This paper examines the changing religious and ritual landscapes in North America, and examines the case of tourism and pilgrimage to Martyrs’ Shrine in Midland, Ontario, to show how ritual journe...
