Journeys of sacredness: the role of symbolism in nature-based religious destinations

Nature-based religious destinations in Islamic culture integrate cultural symbols and natural landscapes, offering religious tourists’ meaningful spiritual enrichment through immersive engagement. However, many of these sites now function as hybrid spaces that host commercial activities alongside religious rites. Commercialization generates economic benefits and fosters social development but also accelerates secularization and thus erodes sacredness. Moreover, most of these sites lack tangible heritage features, such as historical architecture, monuments, or artifacts that reinforce their spiritual identity, exacerbating the challenge of spiritual sustainability. To inform strategies that balance tourism-driven economic growth with spiritual sustainability, this study employs a mixed-methods design to (1) identify symbolic elements shaping tourists’ perceived sacredness in nature-based religious destinations, (2) uncover psychological mechanisms underlying these effects, and (3) examine religiosity’s moderating role. In-depth interviews were conducted with 10 religious scholars and 10 lay practitioners to explore symbolic themes. A field experiment in Pakistan (N = 275) quantified the impact of these themes on perceived sacredness. Subsequently, an online survey with participants from global Islamic communities (N = 298) validated findings. Results enhance theoretical understanding of spiritual sustainability and offer empirical evidence to guide destination managers in reconciling economic objectives with the preservation of spiritual values.