Leveraging Religious Tourism for Domestic Travel

This study explores the potential role of religious tourism in stimulating domestic travel within South Africa. Adopting a quantitative research approach, the study focused on two major religious events held in Gauteng Province. Data were collected from a sample of 271 event attendees using a self-designed survey instrument. The findings indicate that while spiritual motivations were the primary reason for attendance, participants reported high levels of satisfaction with the events and perceived them as offering good value for money. Notably, many attendees also engaged in additional travel-related activities, including spending on food and shopping, as well as visiting friends and relatives. These patterns suggest a clear appetite for domestic tourism linked to religious events. The study concludes that contemporary religious tourism, if strategically integrated into national and regional tourism promotion efforts, holds significant potential as a catalyst for enhancing domestic tourism.