Contemporary Christian Travel

First tourism studies book to focus in-depth on global Christian travel and tourism

This book is the first to examine the complexity of global Christian travel and how it manifests in terms of both supply and demand. It considers the places and spaces of production and consumption of this increasingly important tourism phenomenon and includes examples from Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Latin America and North America.

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.

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.

Contemporary Christian Travel is an academically profound yet popularly written exposition of religiously-motivated travel in today’s time.

This book is the first comprehensive study of the role of contemporary Christian travel and thus fills a huge gap in the literature. It enhances our understanding of the overall subject and offers an innovative look at the complex phenomenon of religious tourism. It reminds us of religion's centrality to our understanding of contemporary society and culture and is an essential addition to the bookshelves of researchers from various disciplines.

This book will become the new standard work on Christian travel, a significant element in modern day tourism. There is nothing in the current literature which matches the depth and detail of this volume. It is well-organised, raises many important questions, presents well-documented arguments from a sound theoretical base and includes informative graphics and an impressive and highly valuable bibliography.

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.