Religious Tourism and Globalization

Darius Liutikas (Edited By) Since 2009, Dr. Darius Liutikas has been a senior scientific researcher at the Lithuanian Social Research Centre (Vilnius). Research interests include modern and traditional pilgrimage, sociology of tourism, anthropology of tourism, various forms of mobility, cultural tourism, sacred places and sacred spaces, and the geography of religions. Darius Liutikas accomplished PhD studies in 2008 at Vilnius University. PhD thesis: „Traditional and modern pilgrimage as expression of values and identity in Lithuanian society". The author's monograph about the manifestation of values and identity in the journeys was published in 2009 (in the Lithuanian language). He received the Grant for the Best Youth Scientist of Lithuania in the humanitarian and social fields in 2010 (Order No. 23 of 1 June 2010 of the Presidium of Lithuanian Academy of Sciences). Since 2008, he has published more than 30 articles in Lithuanian and international academic journals. He has prepared and published 5 books (3 in the Lithuanian language and 2 in English). He participated in more than 40 international scientific conferences as a guest speaker or speaker. In 2013, he received the best paper award at the International Conference on Religious Tourism and Tolerance in Konya, Turkey. Darius Liutikas is member of the editorial boards of the journal Creativity Studies (member of the editorial board since 2014), International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage (member of the editorial board since 2015), International Journal of Research in Sociology and Anthropology (member of the editorial board since 2015). He is the chairman of the Community of Lithuanian Pilgrims (www.piligrimai.lt). He has initiated and coordinated different projects on pilgrimage and religious tourism. He has been the project coordinator of various books, as well as the project coordinator on the DVD Pilgrimage Places in Lithuania (In 2012, 55 min. in Lithuanian language. Subtitles in English, Polish and Italian), and the project coordinator for the biennial show-contest of Lithuanian woodsmen sculptures Saints and Pilgrims (since 2009). Razaq Raj (Edited By) Dr Razaq Raj is Principal Lecturer in the Leeds Business School. His research interests include community events, outdoor events, economic impacts, religious tourism, cultural festivals and sustainable tourism, cultural diversity in events management and international tourism. Dr Razaq Raj is the author of the textbooks Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Management: An International Perspective, Event Management: An integrated and practical approach and Event Management and Sustainability. Dr Razaq Raj is also a board member of international journals and academic associations. Editor of International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Editor of International Journal of Islands Research Editor of International Journal of Islamic Tourism Series Editor, CABI Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Book Series

Chapter 1: Introduction to Religious Tourism and Globalization. Challenges of Religious Tourism in a Global World. Darius Liutikas, Razaq Raj Chapter 2: Globalisation and pilgrimages in the Roman Catholic Church. Elzbieta Bilska-Wodecka Chapter 3: Religious Tourism after Globalization: Geopolitics, De-Globalization, and its Considerations. Dino Bozonelos Chapter 4: Novels promoting the Camino de Santiago. Vitor Ambrosio, Isilda Leitão Chapter 5: The Transformational Potential of Visiting Sacred Sites. Silvia Aulet Chapter 6: Change from Within: Pilgrimage as a Method of Personal and Political Integration in Response to Crisis. Stephen Haller Chapter 7: Moving Pilgrimage into The Virtual Realm: Understanding of The Advantages and Complexities of Immersive Technologies. Mujde Bideci, Caglar Bideci Chapter 8: A Global Turn? Pandemic “Virtual Pilgrimage” and the Politics Of COVID-19 in the United Kingdom. Eleanor O’Keeffe Chapter 9: Religious Tourism Landmarks in Lebanon: Gigantism and Oversized Christian Pilgrimages Sites. Nour Farra-Haddad Chapter 10: In the global spotlight: Japanese Buddhist destinations in regional areas. Ricardo Nicolas Progano Chapter 11: Pilgrims or Tourists? Visitors seeking out experiences on Mount Athos. Polyxeni Moira, Spyridon Parthenis, Dimitrios Mylonopoulos Chapter 12: Experiencing the Passion Play. Case studies from Germany, Slovenia and Greece. Dimitrios Mylonopoulos, Polyxeni Moira, Spyridon Parthenis Chapter 13: Seeking Identity and True Transformation: The Hajj Experience. Jaffer Idris Chapter 14: Selling Spirituality. Examples of a Mixture of Faith and Commercialization of Religious Symbols. Antonietta Ivona, Donatella Privitera Chapter 15: Preparing Students for Healing: Intersectional Approaches to Pilgrimage and Travel.