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Drivers of Religious Tourism in Nigeria: Spiritual and Secular Reasons
No full textReligious activities have been engaged by humans since time immemorial. People have moved from one location to the other to offer sacrifices and engage in ritual activities around sacred objects and spiritual beings. Travelling to religious destinations with an inclination towards tourism is essentially a form of niche tourism. This study investigated the drivers of religious tourism in Nigeria from the prism of spiritual and mundane reasons. Data were retrieved via key informant interviews conducted at Osun-Osogbo Groove and Olokun Temple in southwest Nigeria. The findings revealed that the religious beliefs of most tourists who visit the Osun Grove and Olokun Temple are associated with Islam or Christianity, thus, they consider active participation in the pure religious activities and rituals of these destinations to be unnecessary. Therefore, spirituality is not largely the driver of religious tourism in these destinations but mundane or secular reasons, like knowledge inquisition, and cultural enquiry, which is at variance with the major driver of religious tourism to sites such as Jerusalem and Mecca
Crystal Sets and Listening-in: Radio in Ireland Before 2RN
No full textWhen 2RN began broadcasting from its studios on Henry Street in Dublin on 1 January 1926, it became the first radio station in the Free State. However, it was very far from being the start of radio on the island of Ireland, as there was already a community of amateur operators and engineers conducting technical experiments. This article explores the radio landscape in Ireland which 2RN joined and transformed. The early enthusiasts often not very concerned with programming or with most of radio’s possibilities as a form of entertainment, but did have a very international perspective on the medium’s possibilities. The article investigates the ways in which 2RN’s arrival revealed tensions between the early enthusiasts’ technologically-driven internationalism and the nation-building remit of 2RN as the national broadcaster of a newly-independent state. One form these tensions took was the belief in Esperanto as a universal language which would enable radio to bring together transnational audiences, in contrast to the belief that national radio would be an essential platform for Irish as the national language. Through a critical examination of this cultural landscape and public discourse, this article offers a new perspective on the foundations of official Irish broadcasting
Conceptualising Sacred Grove Tourism for Future Research Models - a Research Note
No full textSacred groves or woodlands are known in tourism settings, they require a long historical process, and their classification as a unique tourism element is expanded in academic literature. To explore the characteristic features of sacred grove tourism, this research note reviews existing studies of tourism. Moreover, this research note seeks to uncover interesting socio-religious, cultural, and conservation dimensions that could guide policy-making in nature-based tourism. A comprehensive review of the tourism literature was conducted to determine whether sacred groves were included as a tourism feature. This research analysed previous studies on nature-based, religious, and cultural heritage tourism to formulate a thematic synthesis of this varied literature and to identify some significant gaps. Findings suggest that sacred groves are referred to in the cultural and conservation discourse but do not have a defined purpose in structured tourism. This work lays the groundwork for subsequent research and policy interventions while further diversifying sustainable tourism concepts
Review of Dave Whitson, Pilgrimage: A Medieval Cure for Modern Ills
No full textReview of Dave Whitson\u27s book, Pilgrimage: A Medieval Cure for Modern Ill
Grave Pilgrimage: The Interface of Islam and Local Tradition in Indonesia
No full textGrave pilgrimage is one of the important traditions for Indonesian Muslim communities, which is not only influenced by religious teachings but also influenced by local traditions. The harmonisation between Islam and local Sasak traditions forms the Sasak Islamic tradition practiced by the natives of Lombok Island. This article explains the motivations, meanings, rituals, and processions which pilgrims perform and the relationship between Islamic teachings and local traditions in the pilgrimage to the graves of Ulemas (Islamic scholars). To achieve this goal, the data of this qualitative research were obtained through observations, interviews, and online media to obtain in-depth data. The findings of this article show that myths and beliefs in the supernatural powers of Ulemas influence the spiritual, historical, and social meanings of graves for pilgrims. Pilgrims have a variety of motivations for visiting the grave, such as spiritual therapy, well-being, healing, and health therapy based on an understanding of hadith (the words and deeds of the Prophet). This research confirms previous findings that Muslims visit the Ulemas graves to focus on praying and carrying out rituals according to the motivation and meaning of the graves for them, which can contribute to further studies related to harmonisation between Islam and local traditions in Muslim religious practices
“A questionable culture that has dominated RTÉ for too long”: Early Funding Structures and the Nature of Irish Public Service Media
No full textRTÉ is unusually reliant on advertising revenue in comparison with other European public service media. This article suggests that understanding why this is the case requires a look at the longer history of RTE’s finances, back to the era when the broadcasting service was directly run as an element of the Department of Posts and Telegraphs and thus, indirectly, the Irish state. This status notwithstanding, a sequence of government decisions in the 1930s created a situation whereby the public service medium became reliant on advertising income for its survival, a dependency relationship which not only persisted but became even more acute after the Broadcasting At of 1960 established RTÉ as a statutory corporation
Keynote 3: The Future of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage: At the Intersection of Sustainability
Get PDFReligious tourism, encompassing pilgrimages and spiritual journeys across diverse faith traditions, has emerged as a significant contributor to global tourism. Although exact numbers may vary according to different sources, recognition of its contribution to local development is widely acknowledged, as well as its resilience, even during economic downturns. The Bethlehem Declaration (2015) acknowledges these potentials, encouraging policies that develop religious tourism in ways that ensure community participation, socioeconomic benefits, and balanced visitor experiences. However, while presenting unique opportunities, religious tourism also poses significant challenges to sustainability due to the ecological footprint of mass gatherings, physical degradation of sacred sites, waste management issues, and tensions between preserving authenticity and accommodating growing visitor numbers. Changing visitation patterns further complicates sustainability efforts. Contemporary religious tourism increasingly blends spirituality and sacred motivations with secular recreational activities.
Future sustainability of religious tourism will depend on developing management approaches that adapt to changing visitor patterns while preserving the authentic spiritual experience that draws visitors. Critical to this development is the importance of governance and partnerships in defining sustainable development strategies and policies that encourage participation from all stakeholders involved. Furthermore, knowledge acquisition serves as the foundation for efficient management—understanding the complex dynamics of religious tourism is essential for effective governance. This underscores the importance of monitoring and identifying realistic and measurable indicators, both objective and subjective in nature, to inform policy decisions. By establishing comprehensive monitoring systems that capture quantifiable data alongside qualitative experiences, destinations can develop evidence-based approaches to sustainable religious tourism management that balance visitor needs with community interests and environmental preservation.
The aim of this presentation is to reflect on the circumstances associated with Religious Tourism that hinder or challenge its sustainable development, as well as the framework and principles that frame sustainability. As a final contribution, a Model for the sustainable development of religious tourism will be presented, informed both by a thorough literature review and the author’s empirical experience, which seeks to incorporate all the variables and indicators that are considered as relevant within the scope of sustainable development
I4) A New Era of Empowerment: Muslim Women’s Solo Religious Travel to Saudi Arabia after Vision 2030’s Groundbreaking Reforms
Get PDFSince the declaration of Saudi Vision 2030 in 2016, the country has undergone significant and transformative changes, including reforms aimed at promoting gender equality and empowering women across various sectors including religious tourism, represented by Hajj (pilgrimage) and Umrah. One of the most historical and impactful changes is the elimination of the requirement for women to have a male guardian/companion (mahram) when visiting Saudi Arabia (SA) to perform religious tourism, enabling them to travel independently. This policy shift, implemented gradually between 2019 and 2022, not only empowers women but also supports Saudi Arabia’s broader goals of increasing tourism, modernizing its socio-economic landscape, and aligning with global Sustainable Development Goals introduced during the United Nations Summit on September 25, 2015.
This paper explores the relevance of Vision 2030 in fostering women\u27s independent religious travel by analysing policy reforms, their influence on female pilgrims, and the broader implications for religious tourism. This paper examines the growing trend of women performing independent religious tourism and the associated economic impacts through an analysis of government policies, economic reports, and testimonies from female travellers. It identifies the key infrastructure and service adaptations designed to support solo female travellers, including enhanced safety protocols, specialized services, and increased accommodation options. Furthermore, the paper explores the cultural and social ramifications of this shift, particularly in terms of evolving gender role perceptions within SA and Muslim communities.
The findings reveal that eliminating the mahram requirement has significantly increased women’s independent participation in Hajj and Umrah, boosting religious tourism and reshaping long-standing gender norms. However, challenges such as cultural resistance and logistical barriers remain. The paper highlights Vision 2030\u27s pivotal role in advancing gender equality in religious tourism and its broader impact on transforming Saudi Arabia\u27s global Islamic tourism industry, offering valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders
Machine Learning Applications in Epigenomics and its Association with Health and Disease
Get PDFEpigenetic modifications can lead to altered phenotypes without a change in the DNA sequence itself. Disrupted gene expression regulated by epigenetic processes can result in cancers, autoimmune diseases and various other maladies. Machine learning (ML) involves the use of algorithms and models which are trained to learn patterns in data, and has demonstrated remarkable success in solving diverse, complex challenges. Epigenomic studies, such as those that use DNA methylation (DNAm) data, increasingly make use of ML techniques to process extremely high dimensional data obtained from high throughput platforms e.g., DNAm arrays. These datasets suffer from the curse of dimensionality, increased computational complexity and are prone to overfitting – making feature reduction techniques critical