经济学人下载:宗教旅游业 来自天堂的便士

Business
商业报道

Religious tourism
宗教旅游业

Pennies from heaven
来自天堂的便士

Pilgrimages are a big business—and getting bigger
朝拜活动内含巨大商机-而且前景持续变好

MECCANS say they do not need agriculture, for God has given them the pilgrimage as their annual crop.
这就是那条路，我相信麦加人说他们不需要农业，因为神已将朝圣之行当作他们一年的作物。

Millions of Muslims are now setting out to take part in this year's haj, a trek to Islam's holiest site, in Saudi Arabia.
几百万穆斯林现正开始了艰苦跋涉，去沙特阿拉伯的伊斯兰圣地麦加朝圣。

The haj, which all Muslims aspire to do at least once in their lifetimes, now brings in 16.5 billion, around 3% of Saudi GDP.
所有穆斯林们渴望在他们一生中至少实现一次的麦加朝圣占沙特的GDP约3%，也就是165亿美元。

Jerusalem, a holy city for all three Abrahamic religions, also draws crowds of pilgrims, and huge numbers of Shia Muslims visit shrines in Iraq.
作为三个亚伯拉罕教圣地的耶路撒冷，也吸引了成群结队的朝圣者，还有大量的什叶派穆斯林去参观位于伊拉克的神龛。

The UN's World Tourism Organisation estimates that over 300m people go on pilgrimages each year. Countless others visit shrines or sacred places.
联合国世界旅游组织分析每年有超过3亿人进行超生活动。无数的游客直接参观神龛和圣地。

The numbers are increasing because the Middle East's growing middle class means more tourists, three-quarters of whom travel within the region.
因中东中产阶级不断扩大而增加的人数意味着更多的游客，四分之三的游客是宗教式的旅行。

Abundant tumult is less likely to deter those travelling for religious reasons than ordinary tourists.
相对于普通游客，再多的骚乱也不太可能打消那些为了宗教原因去旅行游客的念头。

Shia pilgrims still flock toKarbalaand Najaf inIraq, despite the threat of bombs.
什叶派朝圣者不顾炸弹的威胁仍聚集到伊拉克的卡尔巴拉和纳贾夫。

The person who sees their holiday as a cultural experience will be put off by bad security, but the believer will not, says Kevin Wright, an observer of new tourist markets.
那些被危险吓走的人只是把他们的假期看做一次文化体验，而信仰者们不会信旅游市场观察员Kevin Wright说。

Faith-based tourism in the region dates back to Moses leading his people through Sinai with God as their tour guide, jokes Peter Tarlow, a travel consultant who is also a rabbi.
宗教里以信念为基础的旅行可追溯到摩西在上帝的指引下带领他的人民通过西奈半岛,犹太教律法专家顾问Peter Tarlow开玩笑说。

In medieval times Venetian traders took Europeans on trips to theHoly Land.Israelhas long promoted religious tourism.
在中世纪，威尼斯商人就把欧洲人带到了前往圣地的路上。

Yet most countries have been slow to profit from their religious sites.
以色列早就发展了宗教旅游业。现在大多数国家慢慢开始在宗教景点上盈利。

One exception is the haj, which has both expanded and gone upmarket.
唯一的例外就是麦加朝圣，它既扩大了高端市场也流失了高端市场。

Oil wealth and a rising identification with Islam have made it a huge moneymaker.
石油财富和对伊斯兰教的同情感的提升都使它成为巨大的赚钱机器。

Posh hotel chains have piled into Mecca, including Raffles, which in 2010 opened the spa-equipped Makkah Palace.
高档酒店链已经充斥麦加，其中包括Raffles在2010年开了带有温泉浴场的Makkah Palace。

Souvenir shops do such a roaring trade that some only bother to open during the haj.
纪念品商店也大肆扩展了贸易，甚至游侠只在麦加朝圣时营业。

Travel firms in the tourists' home countries do nicely too.
旅行者家里的旅行电影也做得很精美。

InEgypt packages cost up to 80,000 Egyptian pounds, according to Reda Dunia, who runs a travel agency inCairo.
根据开罗旅行社Reda Dunia的数据，开罗旅游套餐价格高达80,000欧元。

Some pilgrims grumble about the rising cost of performing their religious duty. Airlines and hotels put up their prices during religious holidays.
一些朝圣者抱怨旅行宗教职责时花销上涨。

Nevertheless, says Mr Dunia, Muslims often save for years for their haj, so most of them are willing to spend money on the experience.
航空公司和酒店在宗教节日时上涨他们的价格。而Dunia却说，穆斯林们经常为了麦加朝圣而存几年的钱，因此他们中大多数愿意在这体验上花钱。

Some tour operators now offer packages that include leisure pursuits alongside the religion.
一些旅行社现在提供包括与宗教擦边的闲暇旅游套餐。

This helps to boost the price tag and might also persuade agnostics and atheists to visit holy sites just for the cultural experience.
这就助涨了价格标签，也可能会吸引一无所知的人和无神论者为了文化经历去参观圣地。

Countries lacking their own religious landmarks are now trying to create them.
缺少自己宗教标志的国家正在尝试创造他们。

In June Dubai's authorities announced plans to build a Holy Koran theme park, with walls depicting stories from the Koran and a garden of plants mentioned in it.
六月，迪拜官方宣布计划建立期可兰经圣地主题公园，墙上描绘可兰经里的故事和里面提到的花园里的植物。

Dubaiis betting that the pious are as profitable as the shoppers and fun-seekers that it currently attracts.
迪拜正豪赌着虔诚信徒们会像消费者和寻欢者们被它吸引的那样为它盈利。