Religious Tourism and Globalization – The Search for Identity and Transformative Experience

Is it possible to identify the positive and negative effects of globalization on religious tourism or to estimate the transformation of the internal and external constructs of pilgrimage by these effects? In order to address these questions, this book highlights the importance of the search for identity and transformative experience during religious tourism. It also looks at how, recently, globalization has played a part in the changes of the concept of personal and social identity and the transformative experience of pilgrimage. The chapters, consisting of carefully selected case studies, analyse possible effects including the adoption of different new rituals, new pilgrims' values, changes of tradition, acceptance of technologic innovations, development of new business models, and other environmental and sociocultural changes. The book provides: · a conceptual framework for understanding the impacts of globalization; · integrated cross-disciplinary approaches; and · an insight into major religious travel practices in the age of identity challenges and worldwide transformations. It will be suitable for researchers and students of religious tourism, pilgrimage, identity tourism, as well as related subjects such as sociology, anthropology, psychology, theology, history and cultural studies.

Darius Liutikas (PhD) is a Principal scientific researcher at the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences (Vilnius). Research interests include: tourism, modern and traditional pilgrimage, sociology of tourism, religious tourism, anthropology of tourism, forms of mobility, sacred places and sacred spaces, geography of tourism and geography of religions. Darius Liutikas accomplished his PhD studies in 2008 at Vilnius University, his thesis being 'Traditional and modern pilgrimage as an expression of values and identity in Lithuanian society'. He has published around 70 articles and book chapters in Lithuanian and international academic journals. He has prepared and published 10 books (5 in the Lithuanian language and 5 in English). His recent edited books „Pilgrims: Values and Identities" (CABI, 2021), "Religious Tourism and Globalization: The Search for Identity and Transformative Experience" (together with Razaq Raj, CABI, 2024), „Creating the Sacred Landscape Pilgrimages and Ritual Practices" (Springer Nature, 2025) and "Geographies of Religious Spaces and Sacred Landscapes" (Edward Elgar, 2025). He has participated in more than 50 international scientific conferences as keynote speaker, guest speaker or speaker. He is Chairman of the Community of Lithuanian Pilgrims. He is the Series Editor for the Tourism and Society series (CAB International).

Dr Razaq Raj is Principal Lecturer for Research and Enterprise in Leeds Business School. He is an internationally renowned academic with extensive experience in teaching, research, leadership and Managements in the UK, Malta, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany, China, Japan and South Korea. He is an Honorary Professor University of Vitez, Bosnia. He has published work on strategic management, economic and financial impacts, cultural festivals and sustainable tourism and religious tourism. He has both organised international conferences and delivered keynote speeches. He has published books on Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Management and Events Management. He is founding co-editor of the Journal Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage and Series Editor, CABI Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Book Series and Tourism and Society Book Series.

- Dr. Sílvia Aulet Serrallonga is a professor at the Faculty of Tourism of the University of Girona teaching in the Degree of Tourism and in the Master of Cultural Tourism. Her PhD dissertation was the first in Spain to address the subject of religious tourism. Her research line is cultural tourism, from its conceptualization to its management. In this field her focus is twofold: pilgrimage and religious tourism and gastronomy tourism. She is member of the Editorial Board of the International Journal on Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage. She is also part of the Unitwin UNESCO Chair "Culture Tourism and Development. She has carried several research projects both in the university and as a consultant. She has recently participated in several national and European projects, notably in SPIRIT-Youth (related to the creation of a spiritual tourism proposal trough Europe for young people). Currently she cooperates with different institutions related to religious tourism, such as Montserrat Monastery, organizing courses and seminars to enhance the performance of tourism stakeholders in sacred spaces.

Dino Bozonelos, Ph.D. is a lecturer in the Departments of Political Science and Global Studies at California State University, San Marcos, and in the Department of International Business at Kedge Business School. His research interests mainly revolve around global issues, including geopolitics, religious tourism and pilgrimage, religion and politics, comparative political economy, and pedagogy in political science. He has published in several journals, including Academy of International Business (AIB) Insights, Politics & Religion, the International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage, and numerous book chapters.

Nour Farra-Haddad is a senior researcher, a tourism consultant, an author and she teaches at St-Josef University of Beirut (Lebanon) and at the American University of Science and Technology. She has experience in development and management with a strong business consultancy background and in-depth experience in the Middle East tourism industry. She is a specialist in pilgrimages and religious tourism. She is now managing her own travel consultancy company NEOS. Her credentials include a PhD in religious anthropology, a Masters in anthropology and two BSc degrees in archeology and anthropology. She holds a tourist guide diploma from the Ministry of Tourism and was designated as Vice President of the Lebanese Tour Guides Syndicate. She is also a founding member of the Association for the Development of Pilgrimages and Religious Tourism affiliated to the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerke.