COVID-19 and Religious Tourism: an overview of impacts and implications

• Main Authors: Raheel Yasin, Junaimah Jauhar, Noor Fareen Abdul Rahim, Sarah Namoco, Mohammad Saleh Enaizan Bataineh
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Technological University Dublin
• Series: International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage
• Subjects: COVID-19; religious tourism; tourism destination; impacts.
• Online Access: https://arrow.tudublin.ie/ijrtp/vol8/iss7/15

Tourism and its allied industries (airline and hospitality) have been hit hard by the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) globally. This paper specifically explores the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on religious tourism and aims to enhance the literature; it also aims to provide a path for future research work, in particular empirical research or future research that covers the effects of this pandemic on destinations. This paper is built on the fusion of news published by different news agencies to support an overview of related literature on religious tourism and tourism management. This paper confirms that COVID-19 has affected religious travellers worldwide. The rapid spread of the virus and international travel restrictions by many countries are important factors. To drive future tourism activities, new forms of tourism like smart tourism need to be introduced. These changes will force businesses to reevaluate service design and distribution channels. Industry professionals and policymakers should concentrate on tailoring travel plant to the experiences of tourists. The recommendations can help to relive outbreak-related tension, deliver newly elevated experiences to tourists, and partially mitigate the impact of COVID- 19 on the religious tourism industry. These recommendations can also apply to the global tourism industry more broadly. Tourism scholars and practitioners should give proper consideration to this tragedy and how it might inform industry and social practices. This and other public health crises provide sterling opportunities for the industry to observe its effects on the environment, climate, and travellers themselves in a holistic way. This paper probably represents a frontier review, analysing critically the likely effects of COVID-19 on religious tourism practices in the coming future. Along with this it also represents the effect of COVID-19 on other industries e.g. hotel and airline, which are the supporting hand of the tourism industry.