Religion and Tourism Crossroads, Destinations and Encounters [Paperback]

This book explores the dynamic interaction between religion and tourism in the modern world. It considers questions such as:

• do travellers leave their religion at home when they are touring  and what happens if not?
• what are the relationships between tourism and pilgrimage?
• what happens to religious performances, places and festivals that function as tourism attractions?

Other chapters examine religious theme parks, wellness and spa tourism, the roles played by tourist guides, guidebooks and religious souvenirs, and the role of tourism as a major arena of religious encounters in the contemporary world. Surveying the growing body of work in the field, Michael Stausberg argues that tourism should be a major focus of research within religious studies.

Part 1: Crossroads  1. Affinities  2. Interfaces  3. Pilgrimage and Tourism: Ideal Types and Conflations  Part 2: Places and Spaces  4. Religious Sites and Places  5. Tourist Spaces  Part 3: Encounters  6. Exposures  7. Performances  8. Mediations  9. Terminal Reflections

'Religion and Tourismbreaks new ground by insisting that scholars take the intersection between religion and tourism seriously, rather than simply confirming prejudices that depict tourism as superficial and a marginal topic for academic research. &This book does valuable work in drawing scholarly attention to the ways in which tourism promotes interreligious encounters and the communication of knowledge about religion as well as to the religious experiences that at least some tourists see as central to their travels.' Ellen Badone, McMaster University, Canadain Journal of Contemporary Religion

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