“The purpose of a pilgrimage is about setting aside a long period of time in which the only focus is the matters of the soul. Many believe a pilgrimage is about going away but it isn’t; it is about coming home. Those who choose to go on pilgrimage have already ventured away from themselves, and now set out in a longing to journey back to who they are.” – L.M. Browning. Travelling has a way of humbling a person and broadens one’s perspective in multiple ways. People travel for various reasons: To escape a mundane life; to relax and unwind; to explore and seek adventure; for work and business opportunities; to learn something new and challenge oneself or celebrate and visit loved ones. But there is another motivation for travel that is as old as time itself and one which encourages vast masses to make frequent journeys. Religious tourism – or faith tourism – as it is sometimes referred to, is a type of tourism where individuals or masses of people travel with a desire to participate in religious celebrations and ceremonies, to learn more about centres of worship and relics, to join fellowships or make pilgrimage to worship saints. Religious tourists seek a deeper appreciation of faith or connection to spirituality by joining fellowships in prayer and often travelling long distances to holy sites around the world. The connected modern world has meant that more religious tourists are able to visit holy cities than ever before. In the western…
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