THE EMERGENCE OF A NEW RELIGIOUS TRAVEL SEGMENT: UMRAH DO IT YOURSELF TRAVELLERS (DIY)

This research examines the rise of a new religious travel segment – the Umrah Do It Yourself (DIY) travellers. While Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, Umrah is a minor Muslim pilgrimage that can be undertaken at any time of the year, while still playing a crucial role in the completion of Hajj rituals. In the past, Umrah was managed by an authorised travel agent, who makes all the necessary pilgrimage preparations, from flights to trip itineraries. Recent years have seen an upsurge in travellers who prefer not to utilise the services of such agencies, but instead, to make their own arrangements. The decision by the Saudi Arabian government to launch a Tourist e-Visa in September 2019 has opened a window of opportunity for the legalization of Umrah DIY journeys. The objectives of this study are (i) to explore the travel motives that contribute to the success of the Umrah DIY, and (ii) to explore the factors that support and facilitate the decision for the Umrah DIY. The data were obtained via 20 semi-structured interviews with Umrah DIY travellers. The findings show that flexibility, spirituality, and budget have a crucial impact on travel motivation. Additionally, the findings suggest that information sources, travel quality, companionship/new friendship, and familiarity facilitate the choice of Umrah DIY travel. This research contributes to the growing scholarship on the Muslim travel market beyond Hajj and to studies on independent religious travel. Findings provide an opportunity for suppliers and industry participants to understand the travel motives of this new segment as a basis for producing relevant religious tourism products and services.

Prospect of Pilgrimage Tourism in Namo Buddha Area, Kavre

This paper tries to find out the prospect of pilgrimage tourism at Namo Buddha, Kavre, Nepal. There is found limited academic work on pilgrimage tourism in Nepal; however, no evidence of study could be traced on Namo Buddha that is based on pilgrimage tourism perspective. A pilgrimage is an ancient form of religious travel where people make a journey to the place of their belief for experiencing spirituality. Namo Buddha is one of the sacred Buddhist shrines and important pilgrimage sites for Buddhists as they believe the relics of the previous life of Lord Buddha are kept at Namo Buddha Stūpa. Namo Buddha stūpa is also considered to be one of the holiest stūpas in Nepal including Svayambhu Stūpa (Svayambhu Mahachaitya) and the Bodhnath Stūpa (Khasti Mahachaitya). This stūpa commemorates the Buddha Śakyamuni’s sacrifice of his body to a starving tigress and her cubs in his previous life. Nepali people call this site Namo Buddha, Newars call Namo Buddha as Namura and Tibetans call it as Takmo Lu Jin. The place has a huge potential to attract both Buddhist and Hindu pilgrims including international tourists from all over the world. This place offers other attractions and activities besides pilgrimage-based elements such as sightseeing of heritage town; spectacular Himalayan ranges; paddy field terrains; hilly forests; soft adventures experience; and so on. Religious tourism and pilgrimage tourism are interchangeably used in this study and the paper is based on both the primary and secondary data. Exploratory research has been carried out to examine the religious and economic benefits of pilgrims at this site. It also tried to investigate locals’ perspectives on pilgrimage tourism development. Meanwhile, this paper not only studied prospects of pilgrimage tourism in Namo Buddha but also attempted to find out and highlight how the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the destination.

The Sanctity of Emmaus Pilgrimage Heritage Site: The Case of Abbot Francis Pfanner

This paper explores the origins of Emmaus pilgrimage heritage site. Religious and different pilgrimage sites will be discussed. The focus of this paper is to describe the establishment and origins of Emmaus pilgrimage heritage site and also the role played by Abbot Francis Pfanner in the establishment of this pilgrimage heritage site. Furthermore, the paper discusses the tourism perspective of religious pilgrimage sites. Emmaus heritage site draws visitors from all over the world, and such visitation is linked to religious-travel. A key objective was to unpack an understanding of religious tourism as a driver behind the observance and respect for Emmaus pilgrimage site. A description of the religious tourism perspective is offered as well as the benefits of religious pilgrimages to the destination. The paper is conceptual and emphasis is on the sanctity of the site while also offering some perspective of religious tourism as a strategy to sustain and market the heritage site to attract a greater volume of global pilgrims. A qualitative research method has been used to get answers and a descriptive analysis has been done to show the sanctity of Emmaus heritage site. The paper demonstrates that a ‘niche’ product of religious tourism is indeed a big drawcard for the industry. There is a ‘sanctity’ element of Emmaus pilgrimage site as well as a presentation of the key role played by Abbot Francis Pfanner. Reflection of religious tourism and reasons for motivation and promotion of domestic and international pilgrims to visit pilgrimage sites is also briefly considered. In concluding, the paper draws attention to understanding the Roman Catholic religious’ traditions, and it also presents motivations on a variety of pilgrimage types.

Everyday practices research: the analysis of religious travel practices in Belarusian society

The article discusses the importance of travel practices in the structure of social relations between religious subjects in the field of involvement in interfaith relations. The results of a sociological study of travels to holy places are presented in a combination of quantitative and qualitative methodology, questionnaire survey and semiotic analysis of texts. A qualitative approach to the study of religiosity provides an in-depth interpretation of the religious practices pecularities. However, the quantitative representation is relevant to identify general trends in the formation of strategies of religious behaviour. The model combinatig qualitative and quantitative methods of studying tourist practices provides the possibility of their complex analysis. The experience of carried out sociological research shows how qualitative research data can clearly complement the structural characteristics of religious travel (quantitative indicators) with the features of the subjectivity of such travel. The study found: 1) a religious journey involves the implementation of everyday practices of reproduction of meanings and participation in intercultural interaction, as well as the implementation of sacred rituals; 2) a notable number of the religious population in Belarus has experience of religious travel, but pilgrimage is not a regular practice for a significant part of them; 3) the iconic pilgrimage structure is constructed in the virtual verbal texts of Belarusians involved in the daily practice of travelling to holy places. It is formed by several components of the meaning of the «path»: life, the spiritual path, search, cognition, communication, unity, collective emotions.

PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH TO PILGRIMAGE AS A SOCIOCULTURAL PHENOMENON ON THE EXAMPLE OF MAJOR WORLD RELIGIONS

The article studies pilgrimage tourism as a modern socio-cultural phenomenon on the example of major world religions. An attempt is made to explain and define its features, drawing a parallel between religious (cultural) tourism and pilgrimage. It is defined that at the heart of modern pilgrimage is an ancient religious tradition, which becomes a global socio-cultural phenomenon against the background of the weakening role of the world's political ideologies. In addition, pilgrimage contributes to the expansion of modern inter-civilizational contacts, making all corners of the planet accessible to pilgrim flows, but it dramatically changes the nature of interpersonal communication and is reflected in the spiritual attitudes of modern pilgrims. The various forms of modern pilgrimage, their features and manifestations in the intercultural communication of believers during the period of their religious journeys are also investigated. On the other hand, it is determined that the existing modern dominant global trends in the end-to-end commercialization, which turn resources, national cultural and religious shrines into goods. Therefore, although religious travel has its own characteristics, it is still concerned with the provision of traditional tourist services, as well as other tours, and pilgrimage becomes part of the tourism business. Considering pilgrimage as a socio-cultural phenomenon in the world religions, special attention is paid to the organic combination of national and supranational, that is, the practice of this ancient tradition common to a particular confession. For more understanding of principles of formation of streams of religious tourism the analysis of confessional differentiation of territorial religious systems on an example of Europe is made. Pilgrimage has been defined as a perspective type of tourism which can reach the international level, become the main attraction of both separate regions and the whole country and play an important economic role in the development of a certain territory. That is why the modern pilgrimage requires development and popularization.

RELIGIOUS TOURISM DEVELOPMENT MODEL IN BANYUWANGI

This study aims to: 1) To identify and inventory the distribution of religious sites in Banyuwangi Regency; 2) Developing religious tourism models in Banyuwangi Regency; 3) Determine the right development strategy for religious tourism in Banyuwangi Regency. The data obtained was validated by using triangulation of data, researchers, theory and methodology. While the data analysis technique uses qualitative data analysis techniques which include data collection, data reduction, data presentation, and drawing verification. And the SWOT analysis which includes the preparation of the IFAS (Internal Factor Analysis Summary) matrix and the EFAS (External Factor Analysis Summary) matrix which is followed by the preparation of the SWOT matrix. This research is very important to be carried out on the basis of analysis, namely: 1) Banyuwangi stores many religious sites that have the potential to be developed as a tourist attraction; 2) Many religious sites are damaged and not maintained and the history of the document is not documented; 3) Religious sites in Banyuwangi Regency starting from the classical Hindu-Buda period to the Islamic period; 4) The existence of the phenomenon of Indonesian people has a unique motivation to travel that is to package a tour in the form of religious travel. The results showed that Banyuwangi has many religious sites that have the potential to be developed into religious tourism objects, including: 1) the Lingga and Yoni relics in Jambewangi; 2) Alaspurwo; 3) Rowu Bayu Site; 4) Ompak Songo; 5) Aningpatih Site; 6) Kawitan Sites; 7) Goa Site at Alaspurwo; 8) Image Worship Site; 9) Goa Maria; 10) Tomb of Sayid Yusuf; 11) Tomb of Mbah Dowo; 12) Tombs of the Regent of Banyuwangi; 13) Konco Hoo Tong Bio; 14) Tomb of Jogopati Rempeg; 15) Sri Tanjung Well; 16) Mbah Kopek's Grave; 17) Giri Salaka Temple.

The Wandering Orthodox Nuns: Religion and Gender in the Nineteenth-Century Central Balkans

This article discusses a specific type of religious travel—not pious pilgrimage to the Holy Lands—but more mundane trips performed by Eastern Orthodox sisters to beg for donations within and between three multi-confessional empires. More specifically, it focuses on how nuns’ spatial movements put them on the bigger imperial and transnational maps of church, state, and society and contributed to negotiating space for gender. By combining mobility and gender as categories of analysis, I position the sisters’ acts within three broad themes: travel, women's education, and social networks. I suggest that nuns’ involvement in local communities and the establishment of schools for girls provides evidence for worldly as well as pious concerns. By encompassing rich social interactions, the sisters’ story presents gender imbalances in more palpable form and embodies larger experiences of nineteenth-century women who strove to achieve self-development and to assert social visibility.

Mary and Migrant Communities

This chapter focuses on the meaning of Mary for migrant communities, and for African migrants in Europe in particular. These women appear to be well informed about European pilgrimages and, once in Europe, develop a programme of religious travel. Their mobility has become a kind of lifestyle that serves to frame their new lives as migrant mothers. The central question to be answered is: How do women as pilgrims and souvenir shoppers intensify their Marian devotion in post-migration life and in what kind of religious fusion and empowerment does that result? This central question is answered with an analysis of the data collected during multi-sited ethnographic fieldwork in France (Paris, Lourdes) and Italy (San Damiano) between 2009 and 2015.