How visible are sacred sites online?: Availability of European sacred site websites

Abstract

Sacred sites are places where the spiritual world meets the real world. Every culture in the world seeks to acclaim the mysterious, the divine, the martyred or the extraordinary. There are vast numbers of sacred places of prehistoric, historic and contemporary culture in the world. The internet has become a popular tool for gathering information about sacred sites as well as imagery and other required details related to the travel attraction of sacred sites. The internet sources possess an inevitable impact during the selection process of a sacred destination. This study aims to investigate the online background of sacred sites in Europe. Firstly, a list of sacred sites in Europe was prepared and then the online background of these sites was checked through the main web search engines. This study focuses on investigating the online status of sacred sites in Europe and it suggests avenues for tour operators, destination management actors and tourism stakeholders to improve the online presence of sacred sites in Europe. © International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage.