Placemaking in spiritual sites for successful religious tourism

Abstract

Placemaking is considered an action that intends to shape open spaces and create a better image for a place. This study aims to enrich the spiritual experience in sacred sites and confirm the relationship between spiritual place, place attachment and spiritual identity. This is done through analyzing the tool of placemaking in the case of Al-Masjid al Haram in Makkah targeting the overall development of the religious tourism sector. To achieve this purpose, A framework is presented relaying on analytical approach to define urban sacred sites, placemaking, urban environmental psychology, and religious tourism suggesting that the surrounding urban environment affects people’s sense of spirituality in religious sites. Concluding the research with a model to improve the level of spirituality and therefor religious tourism in Al-Masjid al Haram