Religion Tourism and Entrepreneurial Development (A Case Study Hazrat Data Ganj Bakhsh Shrine)

Tourism as an industry has become one of the rapidly flourishing economic sector in the world, and its earliest form is religion tourism that starts from the dawn of humanity. All the cities of the world hosted religious centers are not only a major part of the cultural landscape, but they also promote the economic activities in the form of local business and marketing. Religion tourism generates revenue in multiple ways: money spent by tourists enhances the scale of the local business and spending by local government and residents which in return accelerates the economic activities. This study has been conducted for a Shrine of Hazrat Data Ganj Bakhsh (HDGB) in Lahore (Pakistan) to check how religion based tourism promotes entrepreneurial activities. The relationship has been checked by the visitor’s perceptions and local business activities at Hazrat Data Ganj Bakhsh (HDGB) shrine. For this empirical research, primary survey has been conducted for the sample size of 360 questionnaires from the tourists, management and entrepreneurs around HDGB shrine. The visitor’s perceptions are measured with directional signage, safety and security, displays and exhibits, good value for money, and equal access.