Safety, Fear, Risk and Terrorism in the Context of Religious Tourism

Religious beliefs cloud people's understanding of the meaning of terror, and this factor alone complicates the management of terror in religious tourism settings. In this chapter, we discuss the interconnectedness between religion and terror in the context of religious tourism. We examine the nature of security that provides safety for the religious tourist without adulterating the spiritual experiences of worshippers. Religious faith is known to provide the social trust necessary for a society to function systematically, but touristification of places of worship is often the cause of distress in many communities. Historically, religions have inspired useful leadership practices, and we conclude the chapter with a discussion on crisis leadership ideas that are apt for religious tourism management.