Madras univ to host national conference on religious tourism

CHENNAI: Aiming to provide a forum to present new advances in the areas of religion, tourism, and infrastructure development, the University of Madras will host a national conference on religious tourism in the State from September 7at its campus.

The two-day conference plans to invite papers from academicians, professionals, and research scholars in related disciplines to present their views through research papers, a communique from the institution said.

The conference’s objective is to probe through and find if there exists a shared faith practice in religious tourist sites and its significance. The event will also discuss if infrastructure facilities and conservation efforts are adequate in the religious tourist sites.

The conference will also identify how the existing circuits of religious tourism help in promoting tourism in Tamil Nadu. Other aspects include finding the significance of the art and architecture of religious tourist sites.

The gathering will also discuss the usage of Information Communication Technology (ICT) tools to help in enhancing tourism in the state and the role of tourism in the socio-economic development of local communities.

According to the university, original research papers are invited for discussions and deliberations in several themes including the role of stakeholders in promoting religious tourism, infrastructure and hospitality management, art and architecture of tourist sites, spatial mapping of religious sites in Tamil Nadu, pilgrimage routes and hotspots, and use of ICT in promoting religious tourism website development and sites of cultural and folk significance.