For as long as humans have walked the Earth, we've travelled.
Even in an age of abundance, with the internet at our fingertips, we're still driven to seek out tactile experiences.
Whether it's to see family and friends, visit museums or lie on the beach, the hope is to be transformed — to return home replenished, rested, or more knowledgeable.
There's also a cohort of travellers who are seeking more.
They're on a spiritual path, similar to a pilgrimage — though for many it's an immersion in a religion they don't already belong to.
One of those is Irina Morrison. A few years ago, she set out on the Mystic Express, a tour of Indian temples and ashrams. It changed her life.
"Growing up in a non-religious environment, I was always sceptical and a little bit resentful of churches or leaders of religion or faith," she says. "This trip turned that around completely."
For two weeks Irina visited temples, meeting Sikh, Hindu, and Buddhist spiritual leaders.
"It was much deeper than just learning basics about the Hindu religion, or just going to a temple to observe what the Hindu temple looks like," she says.
"The opportunity to meet these leaders and to have that intimate time with them, that's what was so life-changing for me.
"Just to be in their presence and to hear their wisdom — it was a real eye-opener."
Irina could have backpacked her way around India's spiritual sites, 1970s style, but says that wouldn't have been the same.
"One particular ashram is not even open to the public," she says.
"The owner is a high-level spiritual leader and speaks at the United Nations. I wouldn't ever be able to, on my own, find him and his ashram and be able to sign up or be a guest."
From monastery immersions to a spiritual network
The doors to these sacred places were opened to Irina by a group called World Weavers, co-founded by Australian man Ben Bowler.
In 2006, Bowler travelled to the Thai-Burma border with his then wife Jildou Brouwer to work with a Canadian NGO called Free School.
He became fascinated with the intercultural tapestry of religion and spirituality. Out of this was born the idea of Monk for a Month.
With the blessing and guidance of local religious leaders, they would invite small groups of people from around the world to come and immerse themselves in a monastery for up to four weeks.
"People were taking the robes and doing the whole thing … [they were given] a very authentic ordination as a novice monk."
So successful was the idea that they were soon teaming up with other religious leaders to offer experiences like Muslim for a Month in Turkey, and Rastafarian for a Month in Ethiopia.
"There's a number of these different programs that were running," Bowler says.
"And then out of that a network just grew up with all these amazing spiritual leaders. It was incredible, a beautiful thing."
Since then, the demand for spiritual tourism has continued to grow and Bowler says it's showing no signs of slowing down.
"There's a whole sort of crisis and tumult, of reorganising meaning in life, and I think that in the next five years we'll see a huge boom in that space for sure."
Tourism as a social force
Freya Higgins-Desbiolles agrees with him. She's a scholar of tourism management at the University of South Australia with a particular interest in tourism as a social force.
In decades past, she says, the tourism industry hasn't focused on spiritual travellers because they tend to be low-impact visitors, preferring to stay in temples and hostels, spending little money.
But she says the economic and social spin-offs have enormous potential which go far beyond personal growth.
"I think the pandemic might actually change some mindsets," she says.
"We are looking at meaning in life. We're looking at using our holidays for things that enhance our spiritual growth."
Dr Higgins-Desbiolles experienced a transformation of her own many years ago when she first moved from the US, taking part in tours with Aboriginal cultural leaders in South Australia.
"It really reshaped my whole agenda," she says.
"What they're trying to do is to change us non-Indigenous Australians, so that we can appreciate their spiritual connection to country, and thereby allow them to protect and maintain it.
"If we really want to appreciate this country and appreciate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge of this country, it comes from learning those stories."
An ancient style of 'luxury'
But is tourism the best avenue to communicate a spiritual connection to country?
Anne Poelina, a Nyikina Warrwa woman from WA's Kimberley region, believes it has great potential — particularly what she describes as "luxury tourism".
Professor Poelina is the director of Madjulla, an Indigenous not-for-profit organisation in Fitzroy Crossing.
"Luxury tourism is not five-star luxury, but the luxury of knowing and feeling this place.
"It focuses on our environment as a living system, which holds memories from the past into the future."
She says we need to respect and value the ancient spirituality that Indigenous people have invested in through their custodial stewardship and love for country.
"This creates links to both management and protection of landscapes and ecosystems as vital parts of heritage protection and social and spiritual development."
Professor Poelina is hopeful that the tourism industry will encourage "good faith" sharing, which asks the visitor to exchange a moral contract with themselves.
"We want the visitor to focus on their own values and ethics, and to leave with a sense of obligation and care for the people, and the River Country."
Dr Higgins-Desbiolles says the industry can also assist by providing education, regulation, and clear labelling.
"People should know they've paid for an experience that has been created or vetted by traditional owners," she says.
Creating a banquet of spiritual riches
Ben Bowler agrees that partnering with local authorities and cultural leaders is critical.
"You're never going to avoid criticism if you're doing something at scale in this space that involves spirituality, religion, and money," he says.
"The answer is making sure that the guidance is coming from local cultural authorities. That's very true in Aboriginal Australia, and very true in a religious context."
These days Bowler focuses his time and energy on a not-for-profit called Unity Earth, and like everyone else is considering what a post-COVID venture looks like.
"We're not going to rush back to massive intercontinental travel the same way we used to."
With a major event planned for World Unity Week in Australia this year, they're exploring a hybrid of virtual and real-world festivals and cultural events, as opposed to intimate spiritual immersions.
"I think that in the age of tribalism and fundamentalism, it's probably more philosophically interesting to present a banquet of spiritual riches for people to enjoy, rather than just one tradition, which can reinforce the idea that one is better than another," Bowler says.
"[The question for] our whole future as humanity is, how do we come to live together?" says Dr Higgins-Desbiolles.
"We do have religious conflicts that come from the fact that people become very isolated and ethno-nationalist in their religious faith.
"Spiritual tourism teaches us relatedness, and those connections."