Call for Abstracts: 8th International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conference

The International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage (IRTP) Group in conjunction with the International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage (IJRTP) and Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey invites abstracts for their 8^th international conference to be held from 1-4 June 2016 at Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey. The aim of the conference is to provide both empirical and personal insights into the changing nature of religion in society and to further the debate for both policy-makers and academics to consider these evolving challenges within the future development of faith tourism and pilgrimage. The main emphasis for acceptance at this event is based on participants presenting original papers which apply to the main themes of the conference.

The event will be structured to embrace these thematic sessions including:

• · Terrorism and Religious Sites
• · Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage - Conflicts and Challenges
• · Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage - Experiences and Impacts
• · Scared Sites
• · Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage - Theology and Theory
• · Motivations for Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage
• · Routes and Trails - Modern and Ancient
• · Media and Technological Advancement for Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage
• · Pilgrimage in Non-Religious Traditions
• · Religious Tourism, Pilgrimage and Identity
• · Religious Tourism, Pilgrimage, Culture and Heritage
• · Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage - and Well-Being
• · Revivalism of Religious Encounters in the Modern World

We also welcome suggestions for themes / themed paper sessions etc.

Deadlines:

Because attendance is generously supported by the local sponsors and Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, abstracts of no more than 300 words should be submitted electronically to www.irtp.co.uk by 31 January 2016. If you are interested in being invited to attend, or require any further information please do not hesitate to contact the organising committee:

· Dr. Kevin Griffin kevin.griffin@dit.ie

· Dr. Razaq Raj R.Raj@leedsbeckett.ac.uk

· Dr. Yasin Bilim ybilim@yahoo.com

· Dr. Özgür Özer oozer@konya.edu.tr

Please check the conference website for further information, www.IRTP.CO.UK

Important Dates:

Scientific Committee:

• Vitor Ambrósio, Estoril Higher Institute for Hotel and Tourism Studies, Portugal
• Silvia Aulet, University of Girona, Spain
• Yasin Bilim, Necmettin Erbakan University, Turkey
• Alan Clarke, University of Pannonia, Hungary
• Jonathan Edwards, Bournemouth University, UK
• Carlos Fernandes, Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestão de Viana do Castelo, Portugal
• Kevin Griffin, Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin, Ireland
• Maureen Griffiths, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

· Frances McGettigan, Athlone Institute of Technology, Ireland

· Özgür Özer, Necmettin Erbakan University, Turkey

• Lluís Prats, University of Girona, Spain
• Razaq Raj, Leeds Beckett University, UK

· Vincent Zammit, Institute of Tourism Studies , Malta

Cost:

There is no presentation fee for those who are selected to deliver papers. Costs will be kept to a minimum and will be approximately €150.00 (including tea and coffee, lunches, Gala Dinner and Field Trip). Accommodation recommendations will be provided, with preferential rates organised in a number of hotels.

Publications:

The conference organisers have a track record of successfully publishing papers from their events. Suitable papers that are submitted according to the deadline, will be published in the International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage (IJRTP) and/or selected for inclusion as chapters in forthcoming books in the organisers’ Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Book Series with CABI publishers.

Background to Konya / location of Conference:

Konya is an ancient city in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey, a permanent settlement cradle for many civilizations since people started to run a settled life in 7000 B.C.Konya is south of Ankara, and is associated with Turkey’s Whirling Dervishes for 800 years.The region boasts striking scenery, fine museums, hundreds of Roman archaeological and religious sites.

Visitors travels from around the world to Konya is to see the Mevlana Museum which shelters the tomb of Jelaleddin Rumi (1207-1273), known to his followers as Mevlana (or Rumi), a Muslim poet and mystic and one of the great spiritual thinkers and teachers of all time. Mevlana Museum is one of the most visited museums in Turkey, with nearly 2.5 million visitors in a year. And in December the city hosts Mevlana Week, which is a very attractive event for both domestic and foreign tourists.

Konya is like an ocean that many scholars have sailed individually such as Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, Shams Tabrizi, and Nasreddin and many others whose work is considered as a river that unifies people from within. Konya is a city full of peace that embeds seeds of tolerance into the hearts of people. It is for centuries like an illustrious capital where every year people visit to melt their spirits with divine harmony, where their spirits become peaceful.

The venue of the conference will be Necmettin Erbakan University, Meram Campus - a modern vacility, located in the city centre that caters for nearly 8000 students providing educational and social facilities.

Konya offers various different types of accommodation. Hotels and guest houses are available around the city centre. For the conference participants, special hotel prices will be negotiated.

Abstract Submission Guidelines:

Formatting of Abstracts

• · Abstracts must not exceed 1 page of A4 (including title, data, figures and references), and should be formatted in the following way. Please use 10 point Arial (Unicode) font, single- spaced and set margins to 1 inch (2.54cm) all around.
• · Abstracts will be subjected to blind review by a minimum of two members of the Scientific Committee.
• · Please include a list of five keywords that describe the research at the top of the abstract to assist the reviewing process and 3 bibliographic references cited in the abstract.

Submission Process

Authors must include the following information with the online abstract:

• · name(s) of author(s);
• · affiliation(s); and
• · email address.