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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 9, No. 11

Publication Date:November 25, 2022

DOI:10.14738/assrj.911.13263.

Onyama, A. E., Ersoy, E., &Ndukauba, P. C. (2022). Discussing the Negative Impacts of Virtual Pilgrimage on Socio-Cultural &

Religious Activities of Selected Asian Destinations during the Covid-19 Crisis, and the Need for Physical Presence. Advances in

Social Sciences Research Journal, 9(11). 341-359.

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

Discussing the Limitations of Virtual Pilgrimage on Socio-Cultural

& Religious Activities of Selected Asian Destinations during

Covid-19 Crisis: A need for physical presence

Anthony E. Onyeama

Tourism Faculty Eastern Mediterranean University, Gazimagusa

TRNC, via Mersin 10, 99628, Turkey

ErginErsoy

BekirpaşaLisesiIskele, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

Precious C. Ndukauba

School of Humanity Kinetics, Faculty of Health Science

University of Ottawa. 75 Laurier Ave. E. Ottawa

ON K1N6N5, Canada

ABSTRACT

Pilgrimage tourism involves the physical traveling of pilgrims to a specific place for

rituals. Pilgrimage as a distant journey has contributed to tourism development until

recently. The emergence of the Covid-19 crisis introduced some sociocultural and

religious challenges through virtual pilgrimage (VP). VP is a type of pilgrimage that

limits the physical presence of pilgrims to the place of rituals. Although VP reduces the

spread of Covid-19 infections, it limits the sustainable development of sociocultural

benefits of biodiversity. For example, it reduces the aesthetic values of natural

ecosystems and aboriginal relationships with the pilgrims. Previous studies have

neglected the impact of VP on sociocultural and religious activities during the Covid-19

crisis, preferring to focus instead on tourism impact and types of pilgrimage. This gap

could be critical if not addressed. This study explores the negative impact of VP on the

sociocultural dimensions of biodiversity and religious activities of selected pilgrimage

destinations during the Covid-19 crisis. The study used primary and secondary data.

Findings from stage 1 reveal that VP decreases arrivals, pilgrim well-being, and job

opportunities. Stage two analysis confirms the findings. The study also discusses the

limitations and future studies.

Keywords: Covid-19 crisis, physical presence, socio-cultural changes, sustainable

development, virtual pilgrimage.

INTRODUCTION

Pilgrimage tourism has contributed more than million times to the development of tourism

destinations. According to world population review (WPR), around 85% of people worldwide

identify as religious (World population review, 2020). These believers form the demographic

base of religious tourism of which pilgrimage is a part (Griffin et al., 2018). Pilgrimage is a

spiritual exercise involving seasonal travel and creates income for the host destinations

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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 9, Issue 11, November-2022

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

(Kurar et al., 2020) by reuniting pilgrims from other faiths (Dokman, 2020), meeting friends &

family, and doing businesses (Hanna et al., 2019). The tourism sector often relies on

immigrant workers to function, and migrants frequently enter the labour market through

employment in tourism and hospitality (Hania& Lugosi, 2022). Thus; pilgrimage increases

tourism businesses, creates job opportunities and fosters mental and spiritual well-being

through the pilgrim's physical presence until recently.

Although crises (e.g., the Australian Seasonal BushFire) improves the strategic decisions

making of fire authorities in increasing tourism developments (Onyeama, 2022. 2021), Covid- 19 crisis is different because it is a turning point in pilgrimage tourism. As a health crisis, it

shook global businesses and the spiritual well-being of pilgrims. It restricts mass gatherings in

open spaces. As such, authorities enforced virtual platforms to limit infections. VP is a newly

coined word for a site on the Net where people from different places can meet and stimulate a

sacred journey. Unlike traditional pilgrimage (TP), VP is a pandemic neologism that helps

pilgrims focus by stimulation, but with no real experience, but TP uses the physical presence

of shrines and crowds as key objects to sensory interactions to entice pilgrims to visit, as

Erasmus reflected:

Another important feature of pilgrimage sites is the presence of various shrines and

altars within one larger location. This is important to the concept of sensory

perception and interaction as the numerous types of saintly engagement provided by

these various attractions increased the overall experience of the cult, giving greater

prestige to the church, and then enticing more pilgrims to visit (Wells, 2011).

Although VP reduces the spread of Covid-19 crisis and eases access, it limits the sustainable

development of socio-cultural benefits of biodiversity such as aesthetic values of natural

ecosystems and aboriginal relationships within the environments (land and mountains).

These values contribute to the emotional and spiritual well-being of pilgrims. Traveling to

ritual sites is a culture in pilgrimage tourism; however, the changes from mental travel (VP)

decreases the cultural dimension of biodiversity such as the decrease in the number of

arrivals at the sites. And the rapid environmental changes (switch to online platforms) led to

mass extinctions of pilgrimage cultures (mutual interactions between pilgrims and the

environments). These changes decrease financial incomes by reducing the overcrowding of

pilgrims, which creates receipts, income, and job opportunities for host destinations,

sustainable heritage, and preservation of wildlife. While there are studies on socio-cultural

impacts of tourism development (Mbaiwa, 2005; Gjerald, 2005), and types of pilgrimage

(Aslam et al., 2021), the negative effects of VP on socio-cultural dimensions of biodiversity

and religious activities have been neglected especially, during the Covid-19 crisis. Knowledge

of these changes explains translocation experiences (e.g., moving from one country to

another) (Onyeama et al., 2023) involved in distant travel.

This study explores the socio-cultural impacts of VP on selected Asian destinations using

primary and secondary data. Respondents include pilgrims who have physically travelled to

any pilgrimage sites; to help share their experiences while answering the research questions.

In stage 2, a panel data from world tourism barometer UNWTO, 2020 was reused for

comparison. The study achieved the aim by addressing four questions, which include 1. Why

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Onyama, A. E., Ersoy, E., &Ndukauba, P. C. (2022). Discussing the Negative Impacts of Virtual Pilgrimage on Socio-Cultural & Religious Activities of

Selected Asian Destinations during the Covid-19 Crisis, and the Need for Physical Presence. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 9(11).

341-359.

URL:http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.911.13263

do you go on pilgrimage? 2. How much do you spend for a pilgrimage trip? 3. What are the

impacts of Covid-19 crisis on pilgrimage destinations? 4. Can VP replace TP?

Major contributions of this study include, first, filling the literature gap. The negative impacts

of virtual pilgrimage on pilgrimage tourism remain under-searched. Understanding the

impacts of VP on pilgrimage tourism can reveal the loss incurred by this industry and direct

the destination marketing organizations (DMOs) on how to recover pilgrimage tourism. As far

as we are aware, little or no study discussed this topic. Second, this study contributes to the

tourism industry and society. For example, receipts from arrivals create job opportunities for

the host, and strengthen interactions between the pilgrims, workers and the host. However, as

terrorism and militancy represses foreign direct investment, trade and tourism inflows

(Evans & Kelikume, 2018), VP also represses pilgrimage tourism inflows in the short and long

run. Little or no study discussed this; the current study fills this gap.

Chapter 1 discusses VP as an alternative to TP during Covid-19 crisis; sadly, it has several

limitations. For example, it decreases the number of arrivals, job opportunities, income, and

the socio-cultural dimensions of biodiversity. The second chapter discusses the literature on

VP, physical presence, Covid-19 crisis, socio-cultural, and the sustainable development of

tourism.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Impacts of Covid-19 Crisis on Pilgrimage Destinations

Pilgrimage destinations have witnessed unprecedented and tremendous impacts from the

outbreak of Covid-19. International arrivals declined by 70% (a loss of $730 billion in export

revenues) for the first eight months of 2020 (UNWTO, 2020). This unprecedented decline has

drastic socio-cultural challenges. For example, millions of businesses were bankrupted, and

the Lourdes pilgrimage 2020 switched online. About 320 employees who depend on the

services they render at the shrine lose their jobs (Courtney Mares, 2020). This experience

decreases the socio-cultural values of biodiversity where employees who normally enjoy the

relationships with visiting pilgrims, mountains, and shrines become dependent. These mutual

relationships are core values, beliefs, and norms that bonds the faithful together. Socio- cultural impacts are the ‘people impacts’ of tourism, and changes in their day-to-day quality of

life. Cultural impacts refer to changes in traditional ideas, values, norms, and identities

resulting from tourism. In their words, Robinson and Phipps 2003) said:

‘’Our assumptions about reality and everyday existence are thrown into new relief

through rest and through the new social and cultural worlds we inhabit as tourists.’’

Unfortunately, these negative socio-cultural changes altered the status quo, and this could

affect the mental health of both parties. Interdependence theory (Kelley, 1984) holds that

relations between people are defined through interpersonal interdependence i.e., the process

by which interacting persons influence each other’s experiences. Pilgrims’ well-being

improves through cultural interactions with employees and the entire environment. Festivals

(e.g., pilgrimage) that celebrate the identities, cultures, and traditions (Onyeama, 2000) of

diverse minority, ethnic, and diaspora communities are significant cultural and social

phenomena (Fu et al., 2015). Thus, the Covid-19 crisis decreases socio-cultural relationships