A voyage from religiousness to secularity and back: A glimpse into ‘haredi’ tourists

Ultra-orthodox Jews (known as ‘Haredim’) in Israel are increasing their travel demands and their use of existing tourism infrastructure in Israel more than ever before. This exploratory study investigates the question of whether the travel behavior of this group is a reflection of religious tourism or, rather, the tourist behavior of a unique group of religious tourists. Data were collected through three focus groups and face-to-face interviews with some participants of the focus groups. The findings show that the main motivators and determinants of the Haredi travel behavior stem from their daily routine and ultra-religious lifestyle. The study also revealed that minimal, experienced and expected travel attributes are differentiated according to their mode of travel–either as families or as couples.