Marketing Religious Heritage for Tourism in South Asia

This chapter draws attention to the complexities and contradictions in marketing religious tourism in South Asia. Here, the idea of “marketing” itself needs to be reframed, because in many cases too much religious heritage, too many places, and too many people are a significant problem and ought not to be promoted. Likewise, many proponents of pilgrimage mobility regard marketing as an anathema to the righteous desires of pilgrims, believing that promoting religious tourism/pilgrimage is unnecessary, as pilgrimage is seen to be self-generated either because of religious obligations or because people desire to travel for spiritual upliftment. Other perspectives on marketing and promotion are considered, such as the notion of “branding” destinations by their religious heritage, as is commonly done through all countries of South Asia, with the exception of the Maldives. This is particularly true with the UNESCO World Heritage brand, which may or may not increase tourist footfall. The chapter analyzes the traditional modes and the institutional approaches of marketing—who markets what and why. It also discusses the coexistence of secular and religious as significant marketing strategies in promoting religious tourism, as well as the reasons for the reluctance of many religious organizations/locations to “promote” or “market” tourism based on their religious heritage. It will also examine the delicate balance required in marketing places that are both ecologically and culturally sensitive.