“Spirituality” and “Spiritual Tourism” in Vietnam from Theory of Religious Market

Abstract

The terms ‘spirituality’ and ‘spiritual tourism’
have recently appeared in Vietnamese society to refer to
activities related to religion-beliefs and economy-tourism.
To understand their meanings, this study firstly explains the
etymology, then examines the context of the birth and
existence of these terms in contemporary Vietnamese
society. Based on the commodity theory perspective of K.
Marx and the behaviorism of Ludwig von Mises, it explores
relevant issues in the period from ‘Đổi mới’ to the present.