Regional Economic Effects and Marketing of Religious Tourism

Abstract

Religious tourism is aimed at tourists who travel to satisfy their beliefs by visiting religious centers in various countries. With its historical and cultural background, the Konya province in Turkey is an important center of religious tourism and is a starting point that introduces tourists to the rich religious and cultural history of other parts of central Anatolia. The shrine of Mevlana Jalal al-Din al-Rumi, an Islamic thinker who lived in this region in the 13th century, Çatalhöyük, the oldest settlement with sacred structures in Anatolia, and Greek Orthodox Church of Agia Eleni are located within the city borders, and this makes the Konya province a significant destination for religious tourism. In this study, a questionnaire was conducted to reveal how local people of Konya perceive religious tourism. The results of the study show that the local people of Konya believe the potential of religious tourism will positively affect the city's economy, revive investments in the region, and these investments will increase employment in the region.

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