Title: Religious tourist's motivation for visiting religious sites

Authors: Razaq Raj

Addresses: School of Events, Tourism and Hospitality, Leeds Metropolitan University, Bronte Hall, Headingley Campus, Leeds, LS6 3QW, UK

Abstract: In today's secular world, the relationship between tourists and their belief plays a major part in influencing individuals visiting religious sites. The visitation patterns of pilgrims depend on the strength of their religious beliefs. In current literature, very limited research is available that explores the understanding and motivation of visitation patterns of religious tourists. In this study, religious tourist's motivations for visiting pilgrimage sites are explored. In particular, this study attempts to discuss, through ethnographic research, how Muslim visitors are attracted to religious sites and what they seek for themselves from such visitations.

Keywords: religious belief; religious sites; pilgrimage sites; motivation; Islam; Muslim visitors; religious tourism; religious attractions; spiritual experience; visitation; culture; sacred sites; religious tourists; ethnography.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTP.2012.048997

International Journal of Tourism Policy, 2012 Vol.4 No.2, pp.95 - 105

Published online: 14 Nov 2014 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article