Religious Tourism and the Environment (CABI Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Series)

The remarkable growth in religious tourism across the world has generated considerable interest in the impacts of this type of tourism. Focusing here on environmental issues, this book moves beyond the documentation of environmental impacts to examine in greater depth the intersections between religious tourism and the environment. Beginning with an in-depth introduction that highlights the intersections between religion, tourism, and the environment, the book then focuses on the environment as a resource or generator for religious tourism and the environment as a recipient of impacts of religious tourism. Chapters included discuss such important areas as disease, environmental responsibility and host perspectives. Covering as many cultural and environmental regions as possible, this book provides: An in-depth, yet holistic view of the relationships between religious tourism and the environment; A conceptual framework that goes beyond listing potential environment impacts; A strong focus on explaining the universality of the deeper environmental issues surrounding sacredness and sacred places From a global writing team and featuring case studies spanning Europe and Asia, this book will be of great interest to researchers and students of tourism and religious studies, as well as those studying environmental issues. The remarkable growth in religious tourism across the world has generated considerable interest in the impacts of this type of tourism. Focusing here on environmental issues, this book moves beyond the documentation of environmental impacts to examine in greater depth the intersections between religious tourism and the environment. Beginning with an in-depth introduction that highlights the intersections between religion, tourism, and the environment, the book then focuses on the environment as a resource or generator for religious tourism and as a recipient of the impacts of religious tourism. Chapters included discuss such important areas as theological views, environmental responsibility, and host perspectives. Covering as many cultural and environmental regions as possible, this book provides: -An in-depth yet holistic view of the relationships between religious tourism and the environment; -A conceptual framework that goes beyond listing potential environment impacts; -A strong focus on explaining the universality of the deeper environmental issues surrounding sacredness and sacred places; -A discussion of the role of disease and health-related issues at mass religious gatherings. From a global writing team and featuring case studies spanning Europe and Asia, this book will be of great interest to researchers and students of tourism and religious studies, as well as those studying environmental issues. Cover Religious Tourism and the Environment Copyright Contents Contributors 1 The Environmental Impacts of Religious Tourism 2 Pilgrimage, Religious Tourism, Biodiversity, and Natural Sacred Sites 3 Managing the Environment in Religious Tourism Destinations: A Conceptual Model 4 Human Sanctuaries Can Be Created Everywhere: Pilgrimage, Tourism, and Conservation in Vrindavan, India 5 The Beyul: Sherpa Perspectives on Landscapes Characteristics and Tourism Development in Khumbu (Everest), Nepal 6 Religious Tourism and Environmental Conservation in Lumbini, the Birthplace of Lord Buddha, World Heritage Site, Nepal 7 Interreligious Dialogue: Trees, Stones, Water, and Interfaith Ritual Experiences in Lebanon 8 Mimicking Mountains: Antoni Gaudí’s Sagrada Família and the Mountain of Montserrat 9 Disease- and Health-related Issues at Mass Religious Gatherings 10 The Natural Environment and Waste Management at the Hajj 11 The Effects of Natural Disasters on Religious Tourism Sites: Earthquakes in the Spiritual Heart of Italy 12 Religion, the Environment, and Sacred Places: Lessons Learned and Future Directions Index "This is the first book to discuss both religious tourism and the environment. Moving beyond the documentation of impacts, it examines intersections between the two areas, such as the environment as a resource or generator of religious tourism. Chapters discuss such important topics as disease, environmental responsibility and host perspectives"-- Provided by publisher