Qualitative study reveals that astrological beliefs drive pilgrimage rituals and spiritual healing in India, highlighting tensions between personal growth and rising commercialization.
Key Points
Investigate how astrological beliefs shape traveler motivations, decision-making, and local destination impacts within transformative religious tourism.
Conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with N=42 participants across three prominent religious worship sites in India.
Framed the investigation using the theory of planned behavior.
Analyzed interview transcripts using thematic content analysis to determine primary themes and subthemes.
Astrological events strongly guide travel decision-making and religious rituals, with spiritual fulfillment, healing, and guidance acting as core motivators.
Travelers perceive timing their visits to specific astrological occurrences as a conduit for personal growth, introspection, and divine connection.
Astrology-induced tourism generates positive economic activity for host communities, but heightened commercialization challenges the preservation of authentic astrological traditions.