Mashhad as a pilgrimage destination: toward reinforcing or declining pilgrimage identity?

Despite the significant increase in pilgrimages, there are ongoing disputes between academic researchers, religious, political and administrative authorities in Iran and around the world concerning the potential threat of market and other forms of tourism to pilgrimage. This paper aims to address a critical question: Has the development of tourism businesses and leisure attractions, such as modern accommodations, commercial complexes, and recreational businesses in Mashhad, led to the erosion of Mashhad’s pilgrimage identity? Moreover, could it potentially affect the drive and decisions of individuals visiting Mashhad? By conducting interviews with 23 Iranian professionals and researchers in relevant fields, their expertise and insights were incorporated into this research. Experts' perspectives were analyzed using thematic analysis. These expert opinions were compared with the evidence from empirical research and the viewpoints of theorists in this domain. The conclusion highlights several key points: (1) The physical and aesthetic coherence between the shrine of Imam Reza and its neighboring district is a crucial factor to consider, but an inflexible stance on pilgrimage and pilgrims may not reflect the current realities. (2) Rather than a decrease, there is a noticeable growth in the diversity of religious actors and pilgrims. (3) In the development of commercial and recreational businesses in Mashhad, most experts advised following a functionalist approach. (4) Several specialists perceived the dispute between pilgrimage and tourism ideologies as political, underscoring Mashhad's core identity as a pilgrimage site and its competitive advantage over other destinations. As a result, the pilgrimage identity of Mashhad was thought to be unaffected by the development of tourism and leisure businesses.