Challenges and opportunities for sacred journeys: a media representation of the impact of COVID-19

ABSTRACT

Pilgrimage is a common phenomenon in all the major religions. Earlier studies showed that the pilgrimage sector has high resilience to crises. However, COVID-19 has affected and continues to have adverse impacts on pilgrimage tourism. Recognising the dearth of research addressing this developing crisis and its impact on pilgrimage tourism, this research note aims to explore the challenges and opportunities pilgrims face due to COVID-19. Hundred and fifty media articles from thirty countries are thematically analysed to address the aim of this research. The results indicate nine challenges and five opportunities for pilgrims due to COVID-19, which have varied implications for the pilgrimage sector as a whole.

KEYWORDS:

• Pilgrimage
• COVID-19
• media representation
• challenges
• opportunities

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ismail Shaheer

Ismail Shaheer’s research focuses on tourist behaviour, ethics, social media, and media-induced tourism. Before undertaking his doctorate at the University of Otago in New Zealand, he worked at the Maldives Tourism Promotion Board (now Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation) for more than ten years marketing the Maldives as a tourist destination.

Naresh Nayak

Naresh P. Nayak is a PhD student at the Department of Tourism, University of Otago, New Zealand. His research interest is focused on tourism and hospitality education, sustainable tourism, consumer behaviour and water management in the hospitality industry.

Reni Polus

Reni Polus is a PhD student in the Department of Tourism at the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. Her research interests are focused on spirituality within tourism and leisure experiences, particularly in volunteering, pilgrimage, dark tourism and heritage tourism.