Contemporary Christian Travel

Amos S. Ron is Senior Lecturer and Head of the Department of Tourism Studies at Ashkelon Academic College, Israel. He has worked in the field for almost 40 years and his research interests include geography of religion, cultural geography, pilgrimage, sacred site management, heritage tourism, cuisine and food traditions.Dallen J. Timothy is Professor of Community Resources and Development and Senior Sustainability Scientist at Arizona State University, USA. He has worked in the field for over 20 years and his research interests include religious tourism, heritage management, cuisine and food traditions, and tourism and geopolitics.

This book provides us with a comprehensive understanding of the arguments regarding religious tourism products and their growing consumer market. It touches upon the secular and the traditional aspects of religion in contemporary society – the believers and faithful on the one hand, and the experience seekers on the other. A well-structured book and a must-read for those interested in religious tourism.

• Figures and TablesAcknowledgementsChapter 1. The Context of Christian TravelChapter 2. Evolving Patterns of Christian Travel: Denominational and Geographical PerspectivesChapter 3. Commoditizing Holy Places and Commercializing Sacred ExperiencesChapter 4. Promoting Christian TourismChapter 5. Christian Volunteering: Solidarity, Spreading the Gospel, and Humanitarian ServiceChapter 6. Christian Themed EnvironmentsChapter 7. Heritage Trails and Cultural RoutesChapter 8. Christian Events and GatheringsChapter 9. ConclusionReferencesIndex