Religious Pilgrimage Routes and Trails

Suitable for academics and students of religious tourism, heritage tourism and regional development.

Today thousands travel to religious sites for worship, initiatory and leisure purposes. This book provides a holistic approach to the study of these journeys, with case studies drawn from around the world. It covers conceptual themes including local development, regional economic development, heritage identity and management and environment.For millennia people have travelled to religious sites for worship, initiatory and leisure purposes. Today there are hundreds, if not thousands, of religious pilgrimage routes and trails around the world that are used by pilgrims as well as tourists. Indeed, many religious pilgrimage routes and trails are today used as themes by tourism marketers in an effort to promote regional economic development. Providing a holistic approach to religious pilgrimage routes and trails, this book: - Addresses important conceptual themes such as sustainable local development, regional economic development, heritage identity and management, and promoting environmentally friendly practices; - Includes global case studies to help transfer theory into good practice; - Calls for further discussion of the importance of better planning, management, and maintenance of these routes and trails, so that the positive benefits of this type of tourism development can be fully realized. An important resource for those interested in religious tourism and pilgrimage, this book is also an invaluable collection for academics and policy-makers within heritage tourism and regional development.