The sacred: Religious experience and tourism in Cebu

Abstract

Cebu has become one of the Philippines’ liveliest destinations for religious tourism, marked by daily acts of faith, ritual customs, and spiritual activities. This study examines how different groups, such as regular believers, local pilgrims, domestic tourists, international visitors, and commercial stakeholders, interact with the sacred sites of Cebu, including the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño, Simala Shrine, and Magellan’s Cross heritage area. Using qualitative and phenomenological methods, like semi-structured interviews, field observations, and spatial-material mapping, the research investigates how sacredness is shaped through embodied practices, sensory experiences, commercial exchanges, social interactions, and digital circulation. The findings reveal four interconnected dynamics: (1) hybrid visitor identities, with individuals switching between pilgrim and tourist roles; (2) the importance of embodied and sensory elements in creating sacred experiences; (3) the merging of devotional sincerity with commercial mediation; and (4) the role of social encounters in forming negotiated ideas of sacredness, particularly among locals and foreigners. The study argues that sacredness in Cebu is not a fixed trait but an ongoing, emergent phenomenon, co-produced through relational, material, and emotional processes. These insights enhance scholarly discussions on lived religion, material religion, spiritual mobility, affective atmospheres, and religious economies in Southeast Asia. The paper also considers implications for managing religious heritage, tourism governance, and community-based site stewardship.