Chapter 8: A Study on Sustainability Concerns in Religious and Spiritual Tourism and the Intervening Role of ICT: A Bibliometric Review

This chapter aims to examine the past and contemporary trends of sustainability concerning religious and spiritual tourism and the intervening role of ICT. The predominant trends in sustainability concerns in religious tourism, spiritual tourism, and the role of ICT are identified through keyword and trend analyses using bibliographic data from 307 research indexed in Scopus between 1999 and 2024. A total of 72 articles are included after screening based on subject, title, and keyword relevancy. It has been observed that major contributors in this research field are Indonesia and India. However, the most cited countries include Australia, Canada and the USA, respectively. There is considerable growth in the number of publications from 1999 to 2024 moreover a rapid growth can be seen in the year 2022 to 2023. This study is primarily clustered around sustainability, religious tourism, spiritual tourism, spirituality, sustainable development, cultural heritage and eco-tourism. This chapter highlights key dimensions that have emerged in sustainability issues concerning religious and spiritual tourism and the role that ICT has played in its development and accessibility. To take advantage of the significant prospects this segment presents, corporate practitioners, site managers, and entrepreneurs’ beneficial insights. Scholars and decision-makers can utilise these understandings to learn about the most recent advancements in this sector. Sacred travellers who wish to comprehend the significance of visiting sacred sites can benefit imperatively from the insights gained by employing a sustainable approach.