Religious tourism

Center of Mecca city. In the background, Masjid al-Haram.

Religious tourism, also commonly referred to as faith tourism, is a type of tourism, where people travel individually or in groups for pilgrimage, missionary, or leisure (fellowship) purposes. The world's largest form of mass religious tourism takes place at the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. North American religious tourists comprise an estimated $10 billion of the industry.

Modern religious tourists are more able to visit holy cities and holy sites around the world. The most famous holy cities are Mecca, Madinah, Karbala, Jerusalem and Varanasi. The most famous holy sites are the Kaaba, Rauza of Imam Husain at Karbala, Church of the Nativity, The Western Wall and the Brahma Temple at Pushkar. Religious tourism has existed since antiquity. A study in 2011 found that 2.5 million people visited Karbala on the day of Arbaeen in 2013, pilgrims visited Jerusalem for a few reasons: to understand and appreciate their religion through a tangible experience, to feel secure about their religious beliefs, and to connect personally to the holy city.

Tourism segments

Religious tourism comprises many facets of the travel industry including:

• Pilgrimages
• Missionary travel
• Leisure (fellowship) vacations
• Faith-based cruising
• Crusades, conventions and rallies
• Retreats
• Monastery visits and guest-stays
• Faith-based camps
• Religious tourist attractions

Statistics

Although no definitive study has been completed on worldwide religious tourism, some segments of the industry have been measured:

• According to the World Tourism Organization, an estimated 300 to 330 million pilgrims visit the world's key religious sites every year.
• According to the U.S. Office of Travel and Tourism Industries, Americans traveling overseas for "religious or pilgrimage" purposes has increased from 491,000 travelers in 2002 to 633,000 travelers in 2005 (30% increase).
• The Christian Camp and Conference Association states that more than eight million people are involved in CCCA member camps and conferences, including more than 120,000 churches. [1]
• Religious attractions including Sight & Sound Theatre attracts 800,000 visitors a year while the Holy Land Experience and Focus on the Family Welcome Center each receives about 250,000 guests annually. [2]

See also

• Devotional articles
• Pilgrimage
• Sacred travel
• Religious tourism in India

Further reading

• Razaq Raj and Nigel D. Morpeth, Religious tourism and pilgrimage festivals management : an international perspective, CABI, 2007
• Dallen J. Timothy and Daniel H. Olsen, Tourism, religion and spiritual journeys, Routledge, 2006

External links

• Israel Tours
• Encyclopedia of Religion and Society – Religious Tourism
• USA TODAY: 10 Great Places to Market Christianity's Holiest Day
• CBS Early Show: Rest, relaxation, & religion
• TIME Magazine: Spirit and adventure
• USA TODAY: On a wing and a prayer
• The New York Times: 21st-century religious travel, Leave the sackcloth at home
• The Los Angeles Times: More agencies are serving the flock - religious travelers
• Washington Post: Seeking answers with field trips in faith
• The Complete Pilgrim guide to World's Most Popular Pilgrimage Destinations by Religion