La Mecque ou La Mekke (مكة [makka]) est une ville de l'ouest de l'Arabie saoudite non loin de la charnière séparant le Hedjaz de l'Asir, à 80 km de la mer Rouge et capitale de la province de la Mecque. Elle abrite la Kaaba au cœur de la mosquée Masjid Al-Haram, ce qui en fait la ville sainte la plus sacrée de l'islam. Ethniquement diverse, la ville est aussi cosmopolite lors du hajj, bien qu'elle soit fermée aux non-musulmans,.
Religious tourism, also commonly referred to as faith tourism, is a form of tourism, where people travel individually or in groups for pilgrimage, missionary, or leisure (fellowship) purposes. The world's largest form of mass religious tourism takes place at the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. North American religious tourists comprise an estimated $10 billion of the industry.
Modern religious tourists are more able to visit holy cities and holy sites around the world. The most famous holy cities are Jerusalem, Mecca and Varanasi. The most famous holy sites are the Church of the Nativity, The Western Wall, Brahma Temple at Pushkar and the Kaaba. Religious tourism has existed since antiquity. A study in 2011 found that pilgrims visited Jerusalem for a few reasons: to understand and appreciate their religion through a tangible experience, to feel secure about their religious beliefs, and to connect personally to the holy city.