Uzbekistan and Turkey have agreed to jointly develop religious tourism, according to the press center of the State Committee for Tourism Development of Uzbekistan.
A memorandum has reportedly been signed by representatives of State Committee for Tourism Development, the Committee for Religious Affairs of Uzbekistan and the Directorate of Religious Affairs of Turkey.
The document provides for large-scale activities on popularization of tourist travels for the purpose of performing pilgrimage, increasing the number of religious and educations events in tourism industry, as well as organizing international events aimed at conveying the true essence of Islam to international community, keeping and studying its rich heritage.
Religious tourism, also commonly referred to as faith tourism, is a type of tourism, where people travel individually or in groups for pilgrimage, missionary, or leisure (fellowship) purposes.
Modern religious tourists are more able to visit holy cities and holy sites around the world. The most famous holy cities are Mecca, Medina, Karbala, Fátima, Jerusalem and the Vatican City. The most famous holy sites are the Great Mosque of Mecca, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima in Cova da Iria, the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the Western Wall in Jerusalem and the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
