Exploring pilgrimage and religious heritage tourism experiences.

This chapter demonstrates that visitors to religious sites seek more than a casual encounter with an interesting or historic attraction. It further discusses the experience of pilgrims who are seeking a range of experiences, not simply those pertaining to their faith or religious beliefs. The chapter analyses how individuals construct their own meanings out of their experiences at religious heritage sites. It is suggested that existing models of pilgrimage and tourism do not account for the multidimensional experiences that visitors, irrespective of their motivations, may have.