Institute of Sociology NASU

Religious tourism and pilgrimage as socio-cultural factors of the development of intercultural and interreligious dialogue: international experience

stmm. 2026 (4): 90-109

DOI

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VIKTORIYA KHUDAVERDIYEVA, PhD in Economics, Associate Professor, State Biotechnological University (SBTU), (44, Alchevskih St., Kharkiv, 61002)

viki75807@gmail.com

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0100-5079

The relevance of the study is due to the growing role of religious tourism and pilgrimage as tools for intercultural communication, preservation of cultural heritage and formation of interreligious dialogue in the context of globalization, international conflicts and increased cultural interaction. The problem lies in the insufficient systematization of international experience according to the criterion of its ability to form intercultural and interreligious dialogue, as well as in the absence of a comprehensive approach to adapting the relevant models to Ukrainian socio-cultural and institutional conditions. The purpose of the study is to determine the socio-cultural potential of religious tourism and pilgrimage in the development of intercultural and interreligious dialogue based on a comparative analysis of international experience and the development of a model of its adaptation to Ukrainian conditions. A comparative analysis of five international models of religious tourism and pilgrimage was conducted. It was established that international pilgrimage routes create the prerequisites for dialogue through joint mobility, direct contact, mutual knowledge of cultures and religions, and the formation of tolerance. A five-level model of the socio-cultural impact of religious tourism was proposed, which includes: religious and cultural heritage; pilgrimage mobility; intercultural communication; interreligious dialogue; socio-cultural and peace-making result. The directions of adapting the model to Ukrainian conditions through the development of international sacred and cultural routes, digitization and restoration of heritage, interfaith initiatives, and cultural diplomacy were substantiated. The practical significance is determined by the possibility of using the proposed model by state administration bodies, local self-government bodies, religious organizations and tourism entities for planning international pilgrimage routes, developing cultural diplomacy and interfaith cooperation in Ukraine. Areas of further research include the development of a system for quantitative assessment of the socio-cultural and dialogic effect of religious tourism, studying the behavior of international pilgrims, as well as testing the proposed model at the regional level of Ukraine.

Keywords: religious tourism, pilgrimage, intercultural dialogue, interreligious dialogue, cultural heritage, cultural diplomacy, international pilgrimage routes

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Received 30.08.2026

Accepted for publication after review 15.09.2026