Overview of Religious Tourism

The pilgrimage is indeed an amazing phenomenon, which brings people together at a common goal, which is believed to be the essence or starting point of life and the ‘door’ to the afterlife. As we will discover, pilgrimages require great sacrifice, both financially and physically. Pilgrimages may give the impression of an act that is traditional and not ‘fit’ for our modern world. However, one who has not walked the pilgrimage may never see the insight that the pilgrims themselves see. One fact is certain and striking. The numbers of pilgrims at the world’s major shrines are still increasing.

A pilgrimage is a good time in which someday could spend a lot of time

Throughout history, the progressions of mankind has given way to a perpetually globalizing world. Globalization, the “process of interaction and integration among peoples of different nations, has strengthened human ties while our race has formed societies in every corner of the globe. As our world becomes more interconnected, the resulting blend of cultures has led numerous societal features to be shared between peoples, blurring cultural division lines. Globalization’s tying binds may frustrate many modern travelers seeking unique and special travel experiences due to the standardization of destinations resulting from increasingly cozy international social relations, but continued and extensive human travel has demonstrated that the essential human urge to move is a product of our search for fulfillment in what is unfamiliar and will not be suppressed by global interconnection.

“Than longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,” said Gregory Chaucer in his book, The Canterbury Tales, meaning people long to go on religious pilgrimages. The act of pilgrimage during the Middle Ages had been a very popular and traditional practice in the Christian society. This visit to shrines or holy places was an act of religious devotion and played a role in the lives of many Europeans, especially those in the western regions of Medieval Europe. In order to understand the importance of pilgrimages, we will emphasize the purpose of pilgrimages, the diversity of pilgrims that took part in them, and the various shrines pilgrims visited.

A pilgrimage is a journey for the search of moral or spiritual meaning. After reading the pilgrimage article about the three different people’s pilgrimages, these journeys’ seem to have had a major effect on the travelers’ aspect of religion. Embarking on these journeys’ can teach the followers a whole new side of their religion that they have never seen. The concept behind a pilgrimage to have an experience that recognizes the origin of their religion and comprehend and verify their beliefs. The goal at the end of the pilgrimage is to let go of their individuality and tap into a larger level of their religious community. This journey consists of different sites that have a very meaningful background in their religion. These sites have years of stories that connect to an emotional side of the religion. Different religions like Christianity, Hinduism, and Muslim are strong participators in this life changing experience they call a pilgrimage.

Lastly, “Letter 31 to Severus” is a letter written to Severus from Paulinus who has several relics in his possession, particularly a fragment of a sliver of the wood of the holy Cross. Paulinus communicates to Severus that this relic will enhance the consecration of his basilica. From this letter, we almost get the feel that leaders of the Christian faith created a type of religious tourism for

Have you ever wondered how life was being on a pilgrimage in the 15th century? Around 476 AD, there were long voyages taken on by religious folk called pilgrims. These people would go on journeys to holy places that would hold a type of value to these pilgrims. In the 1500s, people living in Europe thought that the world would come to an end. As that time came, the world did not cease to exist. The people went into utter chaos and started questioning the Christian Church. The people living in Europe at the time were told that they could experience salvation if they went on a religious journey to a holy relic. Thus beginning the pilgrimages. Because of the belief that traveling to a holy place could save themselves from their sins, pilgrimages became very common between the rich and poor. Therefore, pilgrims are the world’s most accomplished and competent travelers of all time because of their skills of navigating all throughout Europe.

Stepping out of your comfort zone isn't always easy, especially in a foreign setting. In my life, traveling has not only been a means of seeing new places, but gathering exposure to cultures that have led to a greater understanding of different and opposing beliefs that exist throughout the world. On my recent trip to Europe, I acquired knowledge of cultures that I could not even begin to comprehend had I not experienced it first hand. Experiencing circumstances on foreign grounds taught me that the area in which we live in can truly cultivate us into who we are and what we believe.

Travel has always been associated with relaxation and enjoyment. People travel to explore new or revisit favorite places. The idea that travel could also be a conduit for self growth and awareness,as discussed in the article Transformative Travel,is a very new concept but old tradition. Various religious groups send people across the world as missionaries. Missionary work was identified as a group involvement. everyone on the mission fulfilled the same purpose. Transformative travel is a combination of mission work and travel of leisure except it is based on an individual's personal goal.

People across the world practise different religions and visit different religious places of worship. Some of these religious places have gained global fame due to their spiritual importance as well as aesthetic beauty.

Pilgrimages have been around since the middle ages. For centuries crowds of people have traveled many miles on foot or by ship to carry out their personal expeditions. These pilgrims may take the same paths to get to their destination, but for many different reasons. Most seek out salvation, healing, or to pay homage to their sacred idol. Others who are just in need of time away from their work or home life go for quiet contemplation or soul searching. An old fashioned type of travel to a new state or foreign country can also help you find clarity during times of adversity.

There are 195 countries in the world, 4,200 different religions, and 7.442 billion people in the world. Some people try to learn about these differences, some remain just simply curious, but many fail to realize the importance of learning about the different, and some similar, aspects of the world. Being able to first hand witness and experience these similarities and differences is often the very thing curious people need to do. Traveling allows people to learn about the different cultures, religions, lifestyles, and experiences in the world.

In Gordan McConville’s chapter “Pilgrimage and ‘Place’: an Old Testament View, he reinterprets the meaning of pilgrimage in relation to the Old Testament. His consensus is the Christian theology views the history of holy sites and its geography as a restriction in a journey toward God. “Christians do not make hag to Jerusalem. There is no one holy place; God does not ‘live’ in Jerusalem even in the story of the Old Testament was never final or definitive,” (McConville, 26). Having mass in our hostel room at A Paso de Formiga demonstrated McConville’s perception of ‘an extension of holiness.’ The worshipping of God in a hostel room felt just as gratifying as having mass in a cathedral. This act clarified that the destination or place was a nonfactor in my journey toward God. There was a trusted community in mass that evening, for we all were on experiencing the same pilgrimage and searching for God’s will. Now, I am not afraid to worship God during any time or at any place.

The objective of this report is to contrast and compare the culture of the Calvary Church with Catholicism, which is the religion that I practice. A field trip was taken to the Calvary Chapel in Rancho Cucamonga On February 12 of 2013, in which a clear observation of its services was

However according to United Nations World tourism organization 2008, Tourism was defined as a social, cultural and an economic phenomenon wgich entails the movement of people to countries or places outside their usual environment for personal or business/professional purposes.