From the hajj to Mecca to the local shrine, religious practices are undergoing a transformation as tourism grows and debates rage. It is difficult to talk about overtourism, but the liberalization of travel and the reduction in air fares over the last two decades have facilitated an explosion of tourism, including religious tourism.
There is a certain ambiguity in the concept of ‘religious tourism’, as the word tourism implies traveling, while the adjective religious suggests pilgrimage. At the heart of the concept is the idea that tourism and pilgrimage are intertwined in a continuum and that both elements should be considered simultaneously. This is also because, in addition to the purely religious reasons for visiting Mecca, Muslim travelers are faced with the same tourism-related choices as any other traveler – hotels to choose from, means of transport, etc.
What is new in this regard is that, for a large proportion of Muslims, the hajj, which used to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for those who could afford it (both financially and physically), is now being repeated several times.
It should also be noted that, for both Christians and Muslims, the question of religious tourism is a political one in Jordan. This is because ever since the reforms initiated by the Hashemite monarchy in the nineteenth century, the country has been engaged in a process of institutional molding of its sacred landscapes, which peaked in the 1980s. With regard to Christians, it is worth highlighting that the phenomenon of Christian (Arab) religious tourism is directly related to the development of this region.
In many ways, Muslim religious tourism is not much different from its Christian counterpart. It is characterized by a rite of passage, a journey into another space in order to become closer to something sacred, be it a place, an object, or a person – Jesus in Jerusalem, Mohamed in Mecca, or – for Jews – the Holy Land. It is noteworthy that, despite the sacredness of the entire World for Muslims, certain places traditionally hold a special position in Islam, such as cities where an important event in the life of Mohammed took place or where his relatives are buried. Thus, Islam seems to have very similar cultural prerequisites to Christianity and Judaism.
However, while the Muslim faith has many similarities with Christianity, it has some significant differences when it comes to “sacred tourism.” This is especially evident in the relationship between Muslims and saints. The cult of saints is considered quite dubious in modern Islam. While in Christianity, the Vatican recognizes the authenticity of various saints’ relics and miracles, the same cannot be said for Islam. This is due to the fact that official Islam, or rather its most influential branch, which is Wahhabism, is opposed to any cult around the Prophet Mohammed. Thus, according to Wahhabism, the only acceptable form of Islam is the one that entails only the hajj, which is supported by the majority of Muslims.
The influence of Wahhabism can also be seen in the reorganization of the hajj rites, which today have a distinctly pro-Wahhabi character due to the need to regulate the influx of pilgrims. This component of Muslim religious tourism has changed dramatically over the last two centuries, influenced by both local factors and the global rise of the Wahhabi movement.
Thus, it is not surprising that Islamic religious tourism is characterized by both an increase in tourism and a turn toward the fundamentals. In addition, it is important to consider the political and institutional aspects of the development of religious tourism in the Arab world. These aspects are linked to Islam’s internal contradictions, particularly the tendency of different schools to oppose the “official” vision of the faith, as well as Islam’s resistance to cultural diversity.
