Abstract Given that Religious Tourism has become a topic of interest not only among Religious followers and pilgrims but also among ordinary tourists, researchers in this field have taken notice. The aim of this study is to examine the global trend of research on Religious Tourism, as well as the current and future research directions in this area. To this end, a review of existing literature on Religious Tourism was conducted using bibliometric and visualization methods. After applying input and output criteria, a total of 412 articles were extracted from the Web of Science database and analyzed using VOS viewer software. The findings indicate an upward quantitative trend in publication and citation rates, with the highest number of published papers occurring in 2021 and the highest number of citations in 2022. Additionally, descriptive data revealed the most frequently cited articles, researchers, journals, and universities. Analysis of keyword co-occurrence demonstrated that the most commonly occurring words included Religious Tourism, pilgrimage, Tourism, and spiritual Tourism. Findings also indicate that much of the research in this field has focused on conceptualizing and distinguishing between Religious and pilgrimage Tourism and understanding travelers' motivations in a Religious context. Moving forward, future studies in this area should consider experiential marketing and tourist experience, as well as Service-Dominant Logic and value co-creation theories. Introduction Undoubtedly, Religious Tourism has become a significant area in Tourism sector. In contemporary times, tourists visit Religious sites not only for spiritual reasons but also in pursuit of cultural and historical significance (Kim et al., 2020; Romanelli et al., 2021). Notably, within Religious and pilgrimage Tourism, both spiritual and non-spiritual elements coexist, making it arduous to differentiate between the two (Griffin, 2007). While pilgrimage Tourism involves performing Religious rituals in sacred places with the primary intention of worship, Religious Tourism does not necessarily require adherence to specific Religious beliefs or practices (Kujawa, 2017). In addition to Tourism activists, academics have also shown interest in this type of Tourism, and many articles, books, and articles have been published related to this topic. In spite of that, to date, no bibliometric investigation has been conducted on Religious Tourism. Therefore, this research aims to undertake a bibliometric review of Religious Tourism to ascertain past and future research trends and identify areas requiring further exploration. Materials and Methods The present research is characterized as a descriptive-analytical study that utilizes bibliometric analysis to examine a specific research field. The use of bibliometric analysis as a quantitative method in this research is well-established in academic literature and enables scholars to gain valuable insights into various aspects of a research field. The choice of the Web of Science database was made due to its established reputation as a reliable and standardized source for bibliometric analysis. After applying filters and selecting appropriate keywords, a total number of 412 articles were identified and subjected to further analysis. In this regard, the complete bibliometric information of these studies, including their title, abstract, organizational affiliation, and sources, were extracted from the database and subsequently analyzed using VOS Viewer software. This methodology aims to identify the structures and trends within the specified research topic, thereby enhancing our understanding of the subject matter. Discussion and Results The results of the investigation indicate an upward trend in the quantitative publication and citation rates of Religious Tourism research. The year 2021 had the highest number of publications, with 52 studies, while the peak for citations was observed in 2022, with 967 citations. Moreover, the most highly cited article, author, journal, country, and university were identified. Accordingly, "Forms of Religious Tourism" recognized as the most cited article, "Rinschede, G" recognized as the most cited author, "Annals of Tourism Research" recognized as the most cited journal, "Australia" recognized as the most cited country and "University of Haifa" recognized as the most cited university in this field. After conducting a co-authorship analysis, the study was able to identify eight clusters of active countries that have contributed significantly to knowledge production in the field of Religious Tourism research. This analysis provides valuable insights into the collaborative networks and patterns of international cooperation among researchers working on Religious Tourism. Furthermore, the keyword co-occurrence analysis revealed that "Pilgrimage," "Tourism," and "Spiritual Tourism" were the most commonly used terms in Religious Tourism research. Conclusions The increase in the number of articles and citations pertaining to Religious Tourism signifies its growing importance as an academic field and highlights the attention it has garnered from researchers. Among the topics that have recently received attention in this field, the experience of Religious tourists and pilgrims is one such area that is still in its nascent stages, as corroborated by the Keywords Co-occurrence analysis. Previous studies have primarily focused on the trip experience, whereas a comprehensive understanding of the tourist's experience necessitates an examination of all three phases, namely before, during, and after the trip. This highlights the dynamic nature of the tourist experience. By comparing developments in Tourism research with those in Religious Tourism, research gaps can be identified. Experiential marketing and Service-dominant logic-related theories are areas that require further exploration in Religious Tourism, as they have yet to receive much attention in this field.

Religious Tourism is a form of Tourism receiving more attention nowadays, whose development is on the agenda. This research is conducted with the aim of designing a theoretical model of the development of Religious Tourism in Iran, through a qualitative grounded theory. To collect data, profound and unstructured interviews were conducted with 18 experts familiar with the subject. These interviews were analyzed through open, pivotal and selective coding. Some components were extracted from these basic concepts. These components were then classified under the heading of causal factors, pivotal phenomena, grounding conditions, interventional factors, strategies and outcomes of Religious Tourism development. The causative factors affecting the development of the country's Religious Tourism were identified in the form of "management of attractions and events", "management of advertisement" and "development of the infrastructure and services fulfilling the needs of Religious tourists", and interventional factors including "rules and regulations" and "planning of Religious Tourism grand policies" were identified. Grounding conditions included indicators of "cultural conditions" and "economic conditions", and strategies include "marketing", "improving the environmental conditions, "human resource and training", " public-private interaction for the development of Religious Tourism", "systemic outlook ", and" attraction of investors". The identified consequences included "increasing the remaining of Religious tourists", "reinforcing the basic motivations of Religious tourists", "increasing the number of Religious tourists, " and "increasing the revenue from Religious tourist’ s visit of the country. "

Tourism is a new study field with fewer studies about its role in the economy and culture of towns and villages until 1990s. indeed, towns where attracted millions of visitors rarely dealt with its Tourism role and it was mainly considered the importance of business and governmental performances in the economy and political changes of states with ignoring the role of Tourism or less enjoyment of it in the planning, particularly rural and urban planning. This is while; Tourism is the most extended service industry that is able to emerge in the future faster than past for increasing the level of public culture, peacemaking, cultures conversation, friendship internationally in comparison with other industries like oil. Iran, with its historical, cultural and natural history has considerable capabilities that must be enjoyed strategically.Because Iran could accept 13 million domestic tourists and 2171699 million foreign tourists on 2006, however, it is yet in its infancy age for developing this industry.Kashan also has precious cultural heritage in itself that may not be seen in most towns through Iran and world and based on Tourism, particularly Religious and pilgrimage Tourism it is able to attract many Tourism through Iran and overseas. Therefore, authorities may implement necessary approaches to provide the field of employment by this efficient industry particularly for young people and promote Kashan, the old town that has been dealt with in this paper.

Religious Tourism plays an important role in Iranian cultural and economic sustainability. Due to the special nature of the Iranian political establishment, this type of Tourism provides many potentials for Tourism development in different parts of Iran. Making the best use of these capacities requires recognition of the barriers and challenges lying ahead of the development of Religious Tourism. Therefore, this study set out to identify the challenges facing Religious Tourism, using thematic analysis (TA) and interpretive structural modeling (ISM). Moreover, the relationship model between the influential factors involved in this regard was extracted at three levels via the thematic network. Finally, MICMAC analysis was conducted to measure the influence power and dependence of the factors. The required data were collected through library research and administering a questionnaire on 15 experts familiar with the subject matter who were selected through purposive sampling, out of whom 11 experts completed the questionnaire. The findings of the study indicated that variables such as lack of attention to the chain of providing Religious Tourism services, lack of programming, policymaking, and monitoring the Religious Tourism process, and not allocating budget and financial supports for Religious Tourism development in Iran played essential and key roles in the non-development of this type of Tourism. These variables were placed at the third level of the model that affect the second level variables. It was also found that the variables such as inefficient management of Religious Tourism facilities and services, inefficient management of Religious attractions and events, and improper management of Religious Tourism marketing were dependent variables that were placed at the first level of the model.

Encyclopedia of new Religious movements edited by Peter B. Clarke provides a truly engaging and authentic view of the emerging Religious movements on a background of the universe. This encyclopedia, containing 428 articles from leading academics, studies the remarkable examples of Religious movements emerging in each continent. Clarke as an editor has written a higher income as "New Religions as a global phenomenon", a "Resource guide of NRM" and a useful article entitled "Typology of new religions" in this encyclopedia. This encyclopedia is a leading, research, updating, important, and valuable reference for academic libraries. However, the encyclopedia suffers from some disadvantages, among which we can refer to apparent contradictions in Index, the incidence of historical errors, print, etc., in its context and putting NRM identified with the Cults, sects, and counter-culture groups

Tourism links people of different faiths and cultures together. Pilgrimage encompasses an important part of activities related to the Religious Tourism. What makes tourist to follow the path, travel, suffer and welcoming the risk is internal tension. This study adopted a qualitative approach to describing how women Find meaning in Religious Tourism. The conceptual framework, tourists Cohen has been used; the ethnographic method was used for operations. Data collection techniques was participant observation and semi-structured interviews and Practitioners elected by purposeful sampling and findings were analyzed through thematic analysis. Research community, Tourism women were holy shrines in Shiraz Through in-depth interviews with 30 patients, data were collected. These findings suggest that in addition to travel outside pilgrimage, can be a spiritual journey And resulted in personal interaction between the individual and the metaphysical and the physical proximity and heart connection in an atmosphere of Religious emotion and be free from any accrued and routine Which ultimately led to the search for the true meaning and the finding. Pilgrimage expresses the search for the existential cleric towards the supreme power. Pilgrimage thus helps the pilgrim to achieve inner perspective and go on a journey beyond time and space. Indeed, such a journey is an opportunity for women to separate from everyday life and to engage in deep exploration to find their own lost ones.

Religious and ritual Tourism in Iran, as part of broader cultural Tourism, exhibits remarkable potential for economic, cultural, and social development. This study focuses on the country’s wide range of Religious and national ceremonies and explores how they can reinforce cultural Tourism. Findings indicate that key Religious rituals such as Ashura, Tasuʿa, and Islamic festivals, alongside ancient festivities like Nowruz, Mehregān, and Yaldā, not only strengthen collective identity but also possess high capacity for attracting both domestic and international travelers. Developing this sector can create multiple opportunities for boosting local markets, generating employment, and increasing revenues in various regions nationwide. Conducted through a qualitative, interdisciplinary approach, this research reviews literature on heritage and ritual Tourism and analyzes the interaction between cultural beliefs, Religious customs, and the spiritual-educational experiences of visitors. The most significant challenges identified include inadequate infrastructure, limited statistical data, and occasionally the commodification of ceremonies that undermines their authenticity. Consequently, precise policymaking, local community education, targeted marketing, and preserving ceremonial integrity are deemed crucial. The findings demonstrate that Religious and ritual Tourism, by uniting historical, cultural, and spiritual dimensions, can play a vital role in presenting Iran’s heritage to the world and serve as an effective tool for sustainable Tourism development. Ultimately, broader interdisciplinary research, coupled with support for Tourism infrastructure and constructive collaboration among government bodies, local communities, and private stakeholders, remains essential for ensuring success in this field.

Karbala city is destination of millions of pilgrims from all over the world every year. Therefore, this research has assessed strategies for developing Religious Tourism in Karbala city, with an emphasis on improving the pilgrims' experience and exploiting the economic and social capacities of this city. First, indicators related to Religious Tourism infrastructure were identified, and then their impact on the pilgrims' experience was analyzed using statistical methods. Data collection tool is a researcher-made questionnaire, which was used to examine its validity from the specialists and experts in quantitative and relative content validity coefficient, and to examine its reliability, was used Cronbach's alpha. The statistical sample includes two groups, 19 people in the qualitative section and 550 people in the quantitative section, selected using convenience sampling. Data analysis includes initial coding, classification, extraction of indicators and variables, descriptive and inferential statistics such as one sample t-test, analysis of variance, Pearson correlation, and linear regression. Results showed residence index with the maximum mean and minimum dispersion indicates the its importance and diversity for pilgrims. The recreational and commercial services index with the lowest mean showed less importance. Correlation results indicate a positive and significant relationship between the attraction index and other indicators at the 0.001 level, which shows that as tourist attractions are strengthened, other services and infrastructure are equally effective in improving the pilgrims' experience. Results of compare means between pilgrims and local residents showed in the catering service and residence indexes, mean of rank pilgrims (253.21 and 254.49) are higher than local residents (239.65 and 234.55) at a significance level of 0.398 and 0.215, respectively. As a result, improving Tourism infrastructure, accessibility and improving the quality of recreational and medical services can lead to increased pilgrim satisfaction.

There is no doubt that Tourism plays an important role in the revitalization and diversification of communities, but at the same time it can cause the effects and changes that this industry has on society, changes in the social, economic and living environment of the regions. It is complex and varies from region to region, so the effects it has are very different and vary from region to region. The purpose of the present study by descriptive-analytical method; is investigating the effects of Religious Tourism from the perspective of cultural patterns and examples of Islam and Islamic jurisprudence, as well as providing strategies for the Tourism industry based on Islamic Religious models by collecting library information and documentary. The results of the research show that Tourism and travel from the Islamic point of view is not only not limited but while emphasizing Tourism, its Islamic dimensions and examples are also abundant.