Religious tourism

[3][4] The Christian priest Frank Fahey writes that a pilgrim is "always in danger of becoming a tourist", and vice versa since travel always in his view upsets the fixed order of life at home, and identifies eight differences between the two:[5] Pilgrimage is spiritually- or religiously motivated travel, sometimes over long distances; it has been practised since antiquity and in several of the world's religions.

[6] The world's largest mass religious assemblage takes place in India at the Kumbh Mela, which attracts over 120 million pilgrims.

[8] These journeys often involve elaborate rituals and rites, reflecting the deep significance and varied traditions associated with pilgrimage in different cultures and faiths.

Others again may be both scenic and important to one religion, like the Way of Saint James in Spain, but have been adopted by non-religious people as a personal challenge and indeed as a journey of self-discovery.

They may practise rituals involving leaving their bodies, possession by spirits (channelling), and recovery of past life memories.