The Gazi Husrev Bey’s vakuf is organizing today the first round table on religious tourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina entitled “Religious tourism, perspectives and possibilities of Islamic community.”
According to Dženan Kaljanac, Gazi Husrev-Bey’s vakuf secretary, the Gazi Husrev- Bey’s Mosque was visited by 20 000 tourists last year and the harem by 100 000 tourists and those are only approximate numbers.
He also pointed out the global importance of the religious tourism. Vatikan, Italy, Jordan and other countries with developped religious tourism attract thousands of tourists every year which contribute greatly their religious communities in two ways: by promoting their main religious ideas and beliefs and by achieving financial stability.
For example, in BiH we have Međugorje, one of the most popular sites of religious pilgrimage, and regardless the controversies on this site, the Catholic church can benefit from it in many ways.
Apart from founding the Museum in the Gazi Husrev-Bey’s vakuf and charging entrances to the mosques in Mostar, Islamic community has not yet offered any program of religious tourism in public as well as there is no available information on the Islamic community members or their cultural and historical legacy in our country – claims Kaljanac.
Tourists coming from the Islamic world could enjoy the beauty of various ancient sites and religious and cultural events taking place in pilgrimage sites such as Ajvatovica or Karići.
“We expect to reach more conclusions on the subject of strategy of developing religious tourism in our country today”, says Kaljanac.
Source: (Klix.ba/ photo Reuters)
