Abstract

SALAZAR MANRIQUE, Estefania. From a Congregational Temple to a Tourist and Commercial Congregation Travel, Tourism and Faith in the Temple of Solomon of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God. Rev. colomb. soc. [online]. 2022, vol.45, n.1, pp.103-124.  Epub Dec 28, 2023. ISSN 0120-159X.  https://doi.org/10.15446/rcs.v45n1.90205.

The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, known as one of the largest Pentecostal churches in Brazil, stands out because one of its most emblematic enclosures, the Temple of Solomon, which is characteristic for its great infrastructure and for the thematic diversity of its cults with the use of various symbolic objects, makes many local and foreign people feel attracted to visit it and in turn, a religious tourism is generated that although different from the outstanding Catholic tourism in Latin America, has similar patterns in both religious market and sacred objects. Added to this is the economic circulation generated both in the country itself by the arrival and movement of foreigners, and in the church itself upon receiving its visitors. But then, what are the mechanisms used by the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God in Solomon's Temple, with which it promotes and maintains tourism and religious consumption within its congregation? So, to answer this question, it was necessary to do field work and constant attendance at the church, together with a participant observation, to take a tour not only to perceive its tourist offer in its organization, distribution and implementation of marketing religious goods inside the church and outside the temple; but also, to know who these types of visitors or tourists are through observation and short non-directive interviews to arrive at an approximation of their motivations that lead them to attend. In this case, it is concluded that the church, through the Temple of Solomon, offers a whole tourist attraction for both believers and non-believers, who, in both cases, are looking for a unique tourist experience that supplies their spiritual need or indeed, their curiosity touristic.

Keywords : marketing; mega-churches; religious market; religious tourism; tourism; Temple of Solomon.

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