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The Camino De Santiago De Compostela (Spain) And The Via Francigena (Italy): A Comparison Between Two Important Historic Pilgrimage Routes In Europe, Guido Lucarno

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The Italian section of the Via Francigena, a Medieval pilgrimage route to Rome, has not yet been commercialised to its full potential when compared to the Camino de Santiago in Spain. There are many reasons for this under development. First, there is an absence of a specialised organisation focused on utilising the resources available; a difficulty that could be overcome by the forming a tourism body with the specific charter for developing these resources and attracting tourism. Second, the weight of the cultural heritage of Rome in the contest for religious tourism takes away from the valorisation of other pilgrimage …

Ignatius Of Loyola’S Traces In Manresa. A New Incentive For Religious Tourism?, Joan Carles Llurdés, Francesc Romagosa

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The city of Manresa, located in the heart of Catalonia, has spent years trying to make profitable its cultural and urban heritage as a strategy for a better tourism positioning among other mid-sized cities that are competing for attracting tourists in an increasingly competitive global context. However, for various reasons the city has not been able to earn a place in Catalonia’s tourism scene, and it still remains in a preliminary tourism development stage. In this sense, the latest initiative taken by the city council has to do with its religious heritage, through the project ‘Manresa 2022’, which consists of …

Streets Of Orthodoxy: Developing Religious Tourism In The Mount Paiko Area, Central Macedonia, Greece, Fotis E. Kilipiris, Athanasios Dermetzopoulos

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Religion and faith have always been strong motivations affecting society's evolution and people's actions. Additionally, religion and pilgrimage in contemporary societies have, among others, considerable economic implications. Religious tourism, an emerging form of tourism activity for many destinations, plays an important role for local economies. Rural economies can rely upon religious tourism as a supplementary source of income in many environments, to supplement agricultural income.

This paper, addresses issues regarding religious tourism development in a mountainous area in Greece, rich in religious as well as cultural and natural tourist attractions. The paper also highlights the role of the church as …

The Role Of Religious Tourism In Creating Destination Image: The Case Of Konya Museum, Murat Kocyi̇gi̇t

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The image of a destination comprises perceptions acquired by individuals, oriented to the specifications of a destination. Touristic destinations are, in order to be able to attract more tourists in the competition environment, in charge of developing marketing efforts, making the best of positioning their products and services together with their economic, cultural and social dimensions in the intelligence of tourists. In this direction, the aim of this study is to determine the destination image perceived by tourists who travel with the purpose of religious tourism when they visit to Konya Museum (Mawlana Jalaladdin Rumi). The data for the study …

The Destination Marketing Development Of Religious Tourism In Uzbekistan, Bakhtiyor Navruz-Zoda, Zebiniso Navruz-Zoda

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Uzbekistan has great potential to develop pilgrimage tourism based on the spiritual culture of the Islamic religion. Destination marketing development of religious tourism, based on Sufism is an innovative direction for the organisation of pilgrimage tourism. In this paper, the dual nature of this kind of religious tourism is revealed to comprise: first a pilgrimage nature, that consists of the Sufi pilgrimage to Sufi shrines to perform ritual and; secondly a religious-cognitive nature, whereby, a major segment of travellers can be Muslim, non-Sufis and scientists, researchers, teachers, tutors and other categories of tourists who are interested in the learning of …

Management Practices For The Development Of Religious Tourism Sacred Sites: Managing Expectations Through Sacred And Secular Aims In Site Development; Report, Store And Access, Peter Wiltshier, Maureen Griffiths

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Through a distillation of practices reflective of the extant literature and socio-economic approaches to inclusive development of sites of religious experiences and worship, we posit that there are seven core conceptual approaches to support evolving site management needs. Therefore, developing sites of special significance necessarily requires the dissemination and sharing of both intellectual and practical contributions to meet those needs in a planned and stakeholder-driven approach. Traditional approaches to development emerged half a century ago with a focus on core competencies and the agreed understanding that open and fair competition would raise quality and assure reasonable profit margins. Creating awareness …

Vol. 4(Vii) - Cover And Table Of Contents

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

No abstract provided.

Xuanzang And Bodhidharma: Pilgrimage And Peace-Building In Buddhist China And India, Ian S. Mcintosh

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

In the study of pilgrimage and peace-building, case studies deemed to be influential in initiating positive change in the world are in the spotlight. A novel example in which people with different ethnicities, cultures and walks of life have come together with a common purpose is associated with the spread of Buddhism from India to China beginning in the early centuries of the Common Era. Unlike other instances of the expansion of a world religion beyond its homeland, the spread of Buddhism along the maritime and overland ‘silk roads’ was not linked to domination or conquest. Rather, it was linked …

Running: An Inclusive Approach To Understanding The Notion Of Pilgrimages, Sonika Jain

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This paper is anchored in the personal narrative of the author whose childhood interest in running was rekindled in adulthood. She prepared herself to run her first half marathon after practicing for a few years, despite a history of serious injuries. The paper offers observations and reflections of the author, as an amateur runner. In addition, insights and analysis are drawn from autobiographical accounts of elite runners like Indian ultra-distance runner Amit Sheth (2011) and North American ultramarathon distance runner Scott Jurek (2012). The paper examines the reasons for different runners to commence and continue to run in their adulthood. …

Begumpura Yatras: Constructing The Ravidassia Pilgrimage Tradition, Anna Bochkovskaya

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The long-term conflict in the Sikh community involving lower castes - predominantly, Ravidassias, chamar (cobblers/tanners) followers of the medieval saint Ravidas - and Jats boiled into an open confrontation after the Vienna incident (May 2009), when one of the Ravidassia leaders was killed by radical Sikhs in a local gurdwara. In 2010, Ravidassias launched their own religion - the Ravidassia Dharam, set up their own scripture - the Amritbani Satguru Ravidas Maharaj, and proclaimed the ultimate place of pilgrimage for the community - the Varanasi-based Ravidas Janamsthan Mandir that bears the name of Begumpura (a city without sorrow), a term …

Travelling Through Caste, Raj Kumar

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

With its peculiar caste system, India is considered the most stratified of all known societies in human history. This system is ‘peculiar’ as it divides human beings into higher and lower castes and this division is backed by certain religious sanctions based on the sociological concepts of ‘purity’ and ‘pollution’. While the higher caste is associated with ‘purity’, the lower caste is associated with ‘pollution’. The people of the lower castes are not allowed to undertake religious journeys and yet are expected to enable the pilgrimages of the higher castes by playing the role of laborers. Radical Bhakti saint-poets like …

The Politics Of Pilgrimage Through The Prism Of Mass Media, Alokparna Das

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage involves the movement of people either as individuals or as groups in search of what can be described as the sacred. Since pilgrimage is an integral part of Indian culture and has significant participation, pilgrimage sites and centres are being used by political and corporate organisations to communicate specific messages. The political relevance of religion in our contemporary world cannot be disputed, particularly in the context of a growing consumerist culture and the divisive tactics of most political organisations. In such a scenario, pilgrimage traditions and centres are periodically taken over by political groups. As a particular pilgrimage tradition …

Political And Merchant Devotees : Multiple Facets Of Pilgrimage To The Medieval Region Of Braj (16th And 17th Centuries), Swati Goel

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Braj is the epicentre of the Krishna cult. The physical representation of the scriptural Braj Mandala as we see it today, however, is a medieval construct. During the 15th and 16th centuries, as a part of religious exercises or in the quest for the land of Krishna, the propagators of various sampradayas (sects) reached the region seeking spiritual solace. This process of rediscovering Braj and the settlement of the various sects was followed by a thronging of the region by merchant-followers and, subsequently, by Rajput rulers from the adjoining kingdoms of Rajasthan and Bundelkhand. The pilgrimage to Braj created an …

Pilgrimage To The Abode Of A Folk Deity, Rajshree Dhali

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage to the shrines of folk deities differ little from pilgrimages to the centres of the institutionalised Gods. However, the historical evolution of a folk cult and the specific socio-cultural context of the emergence and growth of folk deities provides a different dimension to their religious space. This paper examines pilgrimage to the shrine of the folk deity, Goga that attracts followers from across faiths including Hindus and Muslims. The aim of the paper is to explore the double edged religious process at Gogamedi. First, the growing efforts by Hindu Brahmanical traditions to subdue and unsettle divergent traditions of the …

Pilgrimage, Politics And Surveillance: The Temple Of Jagannath And The Colonial State In Early 19th Century Orissa, Ujaan Ghosh

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The temple of Jagannath became central to colonial politics as early as the first year of British rule in Puri. Throughout the 19th century, the temple was an essential concern for British administrators, both in the colony as well as in the metropolis. In this paper, I demonstrate how pilgrimage became a pivotal anchor surrounding which a convoluted narrative of colonial politics played out. I have looked closely at the concept of ‘itinerancy’ associated with pilgrimage, and have tried to explain how itinerancy in the early 19th century became a governmental hazard for the colonial overlords. The constant fear of …

Pilgrimage As Imagined Site: A Study Of Prayag Tirtha, Ankur Goswami

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The notion of a holy place as an idea - consciously and deliberately constructed - is the topic of this paper. This notion of place is not inherent within the idea but is imagined and ascribed by people’s agency. Here, I will explore the construction of the sacred image associated with the major pilgrimage centre of Prayag (modern day Allahabad). I examine how the organisation of this particular space and the use of knowledge about it has had an impact on the pilgrimage to which it is linked. A preliminary study shows that often the notion of sacred space and …

Kashi And Cosmos: Spatial Manifestation And The Five Pilgrimage Journeys Of Banaras, Rana P.B. Singh, Pravin S. Rana

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Historically, Hindu rituals, sacred journeys, festivities, deities and their symmetrical links, have come together to form sacred spatial systems that are still observed by both pilgrims and devotees. These pilgrimage traditions are deeply rooted in local space / place, as well as in the cultural inheritance and mentality of their adherents. This structure is reflected symbolically in the spatial frame of Hinduism in which both complexity and temporal stability meet, mediating between people and the cosmos, i.e., in a mesocosm. In Varanasi (Banaras/Kashi) this spatial frame is clearly expressed in a series of sacred territorial boundaries defined by pilgrimage routes. …

Author Biographies Vol. 4(Vi)

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

No abstract provided.

Glossary Of Terms Vol. 4(Vi)

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

No abstract provided.

Editorial : Pilgrimages In India: Celebrating Journeys Of Plurality And Sacredness, Ian S. Mcintosh, Neha Singhal, Alokparna Das

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

No abstract provided.

Vol. 4(Vi) - Cover And Table Of Contents

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

No abstract provided.

The Tourism Experience Offered By Religious Theme Parks: Taman Tamadun Islam (Tti) In Malaysia, Gaëlle M. Moal - Ulvoas

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Theme parks are major drivers of tourism development and experience is a central concept in tourism research. This study investigates the experience potential associated with religious theme parks which offer a combination of religious and secular activities. The experiences of visitors to Taman Tamadun Islam (TTI), a Muslim theme park based in Malaysia, are identified through the analysis of visitors’ feedback on Tripadvisor.

The Changing Face Of A Religious City: Tourism And The Perceptional Modernisation Of A Host Community, Yasin Bilim, Ozgur Ozer

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Tourism and its impacts on cultural or religious assets can be contentious issues for some communities, for other communities, however, tourism has been an important part of revenue production. Balancing the outcomes of tourism development is not an easy task particularly for religious sites. Some religious sites have recently become aware of tourism’s positive gains - not so long ago, many religous beliefs did not permit the use of religious values for commercial benefits. In particular, muslims do not allow the selling of religious assets as a form of commercial production. But ‘globalization’ and economic reasons have lead to the …

Walking Labyrinths : Spirituality, Religion And Wellness Tourism, Frances Mcgettigan

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Di Williams’s book Labyrinth - landscape of the soul. (2011) states that labyrinths have been known to the human race for well over 4000 years. They seem to have emerged and re-emerged in several time waves and in slightly differing forms throughout this period. The various forms of labyrinth have a long history, stretching back thousands of years. As a primeval archetype they occur in many parts of the world and in almost all religious traditions. The term is of ancient Greek origin, and the labyrinth in the palace of Knossos in Crete figures in Greek mythology. It is found …

The Determinants Of Tourist Satisfaction In Religious Destinations: The Case Of Montserrat (Spain), Gema Canoves, Josep M. Prat Forga

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

In the last few years, the historic region of Bages in Catalonia (Spain) has developed the tourism advantage it enjoys because of the medieval relics of the monastery of Montserrat that it treasures, to the point of becoming a major resort area. Montserrat is an example of synergies between religious heritage and tourism. On the mountain of Montserrat, religious devotion, regional identity, cultural heritage and linguistic tradition, landscape, and the nearness of Barcelona join together to create a tourist product of great importance. This working paper shows how religious tourism is an expression of the commercialisation of culture and religion. …

Religious Tourism In The Hill Of Tepexpan: A New Research Approach - From Dedifferentiation, Víctor Mora-Torres, Rocío Serrano-Barquín, Héctor Favila-Cisneros, Carolina Serrano-Barquín

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This theoretical and methodological paper presents research undertaken to comprehend the social dynamic of religious tourism in a traditional sanctuary located in the Hill of Tepexpan, Mexico. Visitor experience, as tourist or pilgrim, has been little studied in Mexican religious tourism literature, which has focused mainly on quantitative and economics aspects. For this reason, a more holistic and comprehensive way to understand the phenomenon is desirable, especially in destinations that receive a variety of visitors with different practices and motivations.

The Tepexpan Hill Sanctuary has been a sacred place since Colonial times for two ethnic groups: Mazahuas and Otomíes. Their …

Kierkegaard’S ‘Repetition’ And Pilgrimage, Stephen F. Haller

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

In 1843, the Danish philosopher Kierkegaard wondered whether it was possible to repeat an experience. He attempted to relive experiences he once had in Berlin by revisiting haunts of his earlier self. After several days, he concluded that his repetition of experience was unsuccessful. Many people make similar attempts at repetition when they make, for example, the pilgrimage to Camino de Santiago multiple times. What could a person hope to gain by this repetition?

What prevents successful repetition, suggests Kierkegaard, is beginning with the end in mind rather than traveling merely to collect random impressions. Repetition fails, argues Kierkegaard, when …

Pilgrimage And Its Dual Functions In Iranian Shiitsm, Zahra Khoshk Jan

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Salvation is the main concern not only for theistic religions but also for atheistic ones, therefore, all of them try to offer doctrines for achieving both salvation and redemption in this world or in another world. Followers of the Twelver Shiism strongly believe in salvation through the Imam. Imamat and Imam, do not just refer to a special person, more than that, they involve a spiritual / worldly doctrine toward a complete and multilateral salvation, and also socio-political leadership. One of the important parts of this doctrine that involves spiritual / worldly salvation is intercession via religious rituals like praying, …

Vol. 4(V) Title Page And Table Of Contents

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

No abstract provided.

Why Rita? Devotional Practice And Pilgrimage Intent Towards A Medieval Italian Saint In Central Dublin, Tony Kiely

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Devotion to iconic religious figures, though being as old as Christianity itself. Furthermore, it can range from being deeply personal and intense (Kasten, 2014; Mayblin, 2014; Ganzevoort, 2008; Jansen & Kuhl, 2008; Ghezzi, 2007; Martin, 2006; Ellsberg, 2006), to superficially tangential and ephemeral (Coles, 2012; Tari & Vanni, 2008), wherein devotional strategies may be rooted in ‘quid pro quo’ dependencies, parental influences, or ‘accidentally triggered’ interest in the hagiography of a particular saint. However, pilgrimage motivations, expectations and experiences are often seen as altogether different matters. Indeed, the modern pilgrim is often motivated by a combination of impulses, including the …