Tourism Religion and Pilgrimage in Jerusalem

<p>Jerusalem is a city with a singular nature. Home to three religions it contains spiritual meaning for people the world over; it is at once a tourist destination and a location with a complex political reality. Tourism therefore is an integral part of Jerusalem’s development and its political conflicts.</p><p>The book traces tourism and pilgrimage to Jerusalem from the late Ottoman era through the British Mandate during the period of the divided city and to the reunification of the city under Israeli rule. Throughout the city’s evolution is shown to be intertwined with its tourist industry as tourist sites accommodations infrastructure and services transform the city’s structures and open spaces. At the same time tourism is wielded by various parties in an effort to gain political recognition to bolster territorial control or to garner support. The city’s future and the role tourism can play in it are examined. While the construction of a “security fence” will have many implications on Jerusalem’s tourist industry steps are proposed to minimize the effects of the security fence and optimize tourism. </p><p>Written by leading academics this title will be valuable reading for students academics and researchers in the fields of tourism religious studies geography history cultural studies and anthropology.</p>