Tourism and Religion

This book reveals uncharted controversies and conflicts and moves beyond traditional academic approaches of ‘religious tourism’. It brilliantly explores political issues, fundamentalism, commercialization and sustainability using a tourism rather than religious lens. Butler and Suntikul do a wonderful job linking complex issues and exploring sacred sites, religious conflicts, tourism development and marketing through holistic and wider sustainability interpretation.

* Rachel Dodds, Ryerson University, Canada *

There is a serious lack of understanding of the interconnectedness, operational and management issues of religious tourism. This book provides outstanding clarity on the conceptual aspects of religious tourism while debating the nexus and complications of politics, nationalism, emotion, obligation, belief and management challenges. This comprehensive volume will be a must-read for tourism and hospitality researchers.

* Maharaj Vijay Reddy, University of West London, UK *

A welcome addition to existing works on religion and tourism. The editors have weaved a tourism-centric narrative around issues and conflicts arising between religion and tourism, as well as examining the rise of secular tourism within religious spaces. Essential reading for those interested in tourism, religion and their interconnections.

* Stephen Boyd, Ulster University, UK *

This comprehensive book is indispensable for anyone interested in a practical, yet substantial, in-depth look at religious tourism. Presenting topics, which are at the forefront of this intriguing sector of tourism, the individual authors also blaze the trail for further discussion and debate. 

-- Erdogan H. Ekiz, King Abdul Aziz University, Saudi Arabia ... * Annals of Leisure Research, 2019 *

(This) book provides a comprehensive insight into the religion–tourism relationship in the present context, so the readers can see how tourism and religion interact from the past and present perspectives (...) It is a must-read for academics, practitioners and those who are interested in tourism, religion, religion tourism, the futures and relevant issues.

-- Phuong Nam Nguyen, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand * Journal of Tourism Futures Vol 4 No 3 *

Butler and Suntikul provide a timely edited volume addressing the nexus of tourism, culture, heritage, and religion. Across the 19 chapters, the editors have lined up some of the most well-known and respected researchers on the topic...Libraries with collections focused on culture, religion, tourism, and anthropology should have a copy of this work.

-- K. M. Woosnam, University of Georgia, USA * CHOICE connect, July 2018 *

Contributors to Tourism and Religion raise soul-searching questions about the necessity for different and complementary foci on tourism and religion. Consequently, the result is a clear and invaluable comparative overview of evident problems and potentialities at sacred and secular sites. The detailed and exhaustive treatment in the case studies presented highlight good practices that can be applied to other similar contexts.

-- Lucrezia Lopez, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain * Tourism Geographies, 20