CALL FOR PAPERS

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In the studies of tourism, many scholars will argue that pilgrimage is one of the earliest forms of touristic travel. Indeed, in recent years, increasing interest has returned to the issue of pilgrimage, both in terms of travellers’ claims to identity as pilgrims, the intersection of religion and tourism and the spiritual and religious experiences of travel more generally (Collins-Kreiner 2020, Busatta 2018, Puşcaşu 2015, Margry 2008, Coleman, and Eade 2004, Badone and Roseman 2004).

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On the other hand, there has been increasing alarm at the way tourism has developed globally, often without proper planning or inclusion of resident communities. This has led to detrimental and destructive environmental and social impacts often at total odds with community religious and spiritual sensibilities (Higgens-Desboilles et al, 2019, Higgens-Desboilles 2018, Mostafanezhad, and Hannam 2014, MacCannell 2011). This conference thus aims to focus on these various issues: the increasing interest in religious experiences of travel communities and the growing alarm at unplanned tourism development. We invite presentations reflecting on the overall question of the intersection between religion and tourism, with special reference to Catholicism in Asia.

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Some issues of particular interest to the organizers would be:

• How have communities been included or ignored in the context of tourism developments, and how do they understand tourism in relation to their religious sensibilities?

• Has religion, particularly Catholicism, figured in any significant way in managing or promoting tourist destinations and what has been the impact on religious communities?

• What are the experiences of visitors to religious tourism sites, particularly associated with Catholicism in Asia, and how might these intersect and inter-relate with those of the local population?

• What are the religious sites and pilgrimage routes that have been visited or promoted, particularly in Asia, and what is the participation of local communities?

• What are case studies of best practices in community-led tourism initiatives, particularly in regards to religious tourism sites?

• What are the business opportunities for local communities in regards to religious tourism and how does this affect local religious sensibilities?

• What has been the effect of tourism more generally on religion, particularly Catholicism, on communities in Asia or elsewhere?

• Legal and Policy Challenges in Religious Tourism: How do sustainability policies in tourism impact religious sites, and what best practices can be adopted to ensure both economic viability and cultural preservation?​

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We also welcome case studies or suggested models that showcase the promotion of  environmentally and culturally sustainable tourism, the building of bridges between different religious communities through tourism, the enhancement of local economies and livelihoods through tourism projects, the safeguarding and promoting of cultural heritage in tourism destinations, explorations of the dynamics of the digital performance in the tourism sector, or effective policies and governance models for inclusive tourism development and the participation of local society/community in policy making, etc.

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Thus, the specific aim of this conference is to explore a variety of topics and analyses on the ways in which tourism and Catholicism influence, impact, challenge or redefine each other especially within the context of Asia.