Exploring the Spiritual Dynamics of Orthodox Religious Tourism: An In-depth Study of Visitor Experience at Osovica Monastery

Abstract

Religious tourism is increasingly becoming a significant component of global tourism trends, contributing to a substantial increase in tourist traffic worldwide. This study focuses on analysing the motives, reasons, effects, and expectations of visiting Osovica Monastery, a recently renovated sanctuary of the Serbian Orthodox Church within the Banja Luka Diocese in the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Through a comprehensive literature review and empirical analysis, this research explores the motivations behind visiting the monastery, the impacts of these motivations on visitor satisfaction, and the factors influencing revisits and positive feedback. Utilising a methodological approach that incorporates both psychological and sociological perspectives, this study delves into the complexities of religious tourism dynamics, shedding light on the interplay between spirituality, culture, and identity preservation. The findings underscore the significance of spiritual motives in driving visits to Osovica Monastery and highlight the therapeutic effects of spiritual activities on visitors’ well-being. Additionally, demographic characteristics such as gender, age, education, and employment status are examined to understand better their influence on visit motivations, reasons and effects. Overall, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of religious tourism dynamics, providing insights into future research endeavours in this domain.

Keywords

• religious tourism
• osovica monastery
• motives
• reasons for visiting
• effects and expectations
• monastery visitor