Sociology Commons^™

Finding Oneself While Discovering Others: An Existential Perspective On Volunteer Tourism In Thailand, Nick Kontogeorgopoulos

All Faculty Scholarship

The purpose of this study is to explore the importance of existential authenticity in the motivations and activities of volunteer tourists in Thailand. Although studies of volunteer tourism have hinted at the importance of existential themes, few have explicitly utilized an existential framework to assess the authenticity of volunteer tourist experiences. The findings of this study illustrate that the volunteer tourism experience is driven by a desire for existential authenticity in both its intrapersonal and interpersonal varieties, and that working with children facilitates existentially authentic outcomes for volunteers. At the same time, while the perceived material authenticity of hosts enhances ...

Religious Tourism In San Giovanni Rotondo, The Worship Of Padre Pio: Narrations And Testimonies, Paola De Salvo, Pasquale Guerra

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conference

New meanings, new perspectives and renewed interests increasingly converge on tourism and pilgrimage (Collins-Kreiner, 2010; Kong, 2001; Sharpley, 2015). Post-modernism, such as the mercy of pilgrimage (Henderson, 2010), the secularisation of society leads to a weakening of spiritual experience and its transformation into a tourist experience. Pilgrims also become victims of modernity that affects the personal and existential authenticity of the pilgrimage, transforming spirituality into an inauthentic experience that undermines the simplicity, values and modalities of religious travel (Qurashi, 2017). The work is aimed at showing the radical changes that took place in San Giovanni Rotondo (Foggia, Italy) where he ...

Creating And Storing A Toolkit For Pilgrimage And Religious Tourism Sites, Peter Wiltshier

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conference

This paper reflects our abiding interest in our origins and of those religious and pilgrimage spaces that we attest to actively being part of our cultural inheritance. It explores options for, and barriers, to the creation of a repository of information to support practitioners and the clergy to maintain and develop these religious and pilgrimage sites. A model toolkit for storing collected knowledge is presented with illustrative examples from a range of sources. The examples used are largely drawn from a North/West perspective.

Post-Pilgrimage: Beyond Secularisation, Dane Munro, George Cassar Ph.D.

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conference

This paper proposes to introduce the term ‘post-pilgrimage’ as a key concept to the theory of pilgrimage applied to the Western Christian point of view. Tourism and pilgrimage have been joined to the hip since Palaeolithic times and have since then dynamically developed. And since we apparently live in a post-modern world, in which ‘post-tourism’ and ‘post-secularism’ are well-known models in the theoretical field of tourism research, the idea of ‘post-pilgrimage’ is perhaps overdue.

Volunteering In The Religious Heritage: Protection, Valorization And Mediation In Italy And France, Giovanna Rech

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conference

In Europe, voluntary work in cultural heritage is a debated but also crucial phenomenon which involves both young and retired people (VOCH 2008; Hustinx et al 2015). Volunteers carry out many activities related to caring and watching but also welcoming and guiding the attendance in these sites and institutions. In Italy, a large interest for the relation between religious heritage and tourism is not so recent but specific projects only dates back to the end of twentieth century even though this country owns one of the richest heritage in the world. In France, the Catholic church has launched a pastoral ...

Western Mexican Shrines: Mapping And Categorizing Holy Places, Alejandra Aguilar-Ros

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conference

A tradition on shrines inventories exist in Central Europe since the middle ages, in order to offer practical information to pilgrims, so they could get more graces along the way. These projects have been pursued until today, either by tourist agencies or by scholars trying to see an ample regional view of the shrines in a particular area (eg. The Netherlands by Post, et al., 1998; or Spain by William, C. 1990 and 1991). Here, I will present the results of a cartographic project to map shrines in the Western part of Mexico, showing how such an endeavour problematizes the ...

The Destination Marketing Tools For “Seven Sufi Saints Of Noble Bukhara” Pilgrimage Cluster, Bakhtiyor Navruz-Zoda, Nutfillo Ibragimov, Akmal Rakhmanov

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conference

As the one of religious doctrines in Islam, Sufism, has aimed to strive in perfection. Taking into consideration intensive connection of cultures through trade and communication in Middle Ages, the territory of Central Asia became crossroad of civilization. Considered as one of the primarily philosophies, Tasavvuf (mysticism) school, its material and non-material heritage had begun from the territory of current Uzbekistan, where esteem of educational ideas have been continuously used for inter-cultural and inter-religious relationships. Particularly, Bukhara, known as the noble city, for being homeland of great thinkers, including seven holy Sufi saints. This paper will look at practical implantation ...

Religious Tourism Promotion. Good Practices From Greek Tourism Office In Milan, Dimitrios N. Mylonopoulos Dr, Polyxeni G. Moira Dr, Maria Volonaki

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conference

The forming and practicing pillar of Greece’s tourism policy is the Greek National Tourism Organization. The primary mission of the GNTO is the international promotion of Greece as a tourist destination. To achieve this goal, both within the country and in the international field, it has established and operates Regional Tourism Authorities in the 13 administrative regions in Greece and the Foreign Offices in major cities abroad. The Regional Tourism Authorities are intended to coordinate the tourism activities at a regional level while the Foreign Offices to promote Greece abroad. Such an important office abroad is the GNTO office ...

Rethinking Pilgrimage Routes Within The Context Of Safe Environments, Carlos Fernandes, Goretti Silva, Martín Gómez-Ullate

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conference

Safety and security are complex, multidimensional concepts, that have undergone a significant change and are active elements of tourism, with a wide range of components belonging to it: political security, public safety, health and sanitation, personal data safety, legal protection of tourists, consumer protection, safety in communication, disaster protection, environmental security, getting authentic information, quality assurance of services etc. (Hall et al, 2009). Studying problems of safety and security has become vital for the tourism industry as it needs to understand what are the main factors influencing the perception of safety, the key elements that are treated as belonging to ...

The Impacts Of Wall-Building Politics On International Tourism Flows: The Case Of Hungary, Emese Panyik, Ayesha Chowdhury Ms

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conference

Historical evidence suggests that economic differences between populations induce ethnic tensions and national rivalry which, in turn, trigger mass migrations. The building of walls for protection of citizens from such external threats has been a common political choice, specifically that of great empires. In modern Western societies, built upon democratic principles, however, wall-building politics to shut down the mass influx of refugees from conflict regions is in fundamental contrast with the unalienable human rights of free movement and non-refoulement. In 2015, global forced displacement of people hit the highest record since the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) records began, with ...

‘Going Around And Connecting Dots: Landscape Monuments And Pilgrimage-Tourism In Wales And Celtic Britain’, Jonathan Wooding

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conference

Celtic Britain, especially Wales, is unusually well-served by the extent to which landscape monuments of medieval and modern religion have been catalogued and recorded. Significant recorded data-sets for pilgrimage include early and medieval inscribed stones, holy wells, and saints’ dedications. Influential geographical studies have created both explicit and implicit routes of connection between many of these. These data-sets and narratives have played, and continue to play, substantial roles in development of interpretations and routes created for religious tourism. This presentation, reflecting on a number of case-studies of trails and sites, will (mostly) resist the historian’s instinctive interest in deconstruction ...

Customer Relationship Marketing Tool For Growth Of Religious Tourism Business: An Islamic Perspective, Md Javed Kawsar, Razaq Raj

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conference

No abstract provided.

The Spiritual Seekers And The 'Tourist Bubble': The Aminè Experience, Monica Gilli, Stefania Palmisano

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conference

Our case study is the Federation of Damanhur. Damanhur, one of the most important spiritual communities in Europe, is located in ValChiusella, fifty kilometres north of Torino, Piedmont, Italy. At present, according to the community’s estimates, about 600 members live there permanently. Damanhur every year hosts thousands of visitors who experience the spiritual community thanks to daily tours, weekly stays and seminars. Since some years some scholars of the University of Torino are studying the community of Damanhur, with particular attention to the relationship between the spiritual dimension and the economy, including tourism. In this paper we present some ...

Marian Midsize Shrines: Three Itineraries Between Portugal And Slovakia, Vitor Ambrósio, Carla Norte Braga, Isilda Leitão, Carlos Fernandes, Alfred Krogmann, Magdaléna Nemčíková

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conference

Many travelers whose main motivation is religious tourism (Catholic) have visited the major shrines such as the Holy Land, the Vatican, Lourdes (France) and Fatima (Portugal). After having been in those places/shrines, numerous religious tourists want to visit other sanctuaries but not many programs offer that possibility. With that in mind, three researchers drove from Lisbon (Portugal) to Levoča (Slovakia) nearly always stopping along Marian midsize shrines. The data collected by participant observation allowed the researchers to design three different itineraries - they include the most important Marian midsize shrines and also towns/small cities along the way.

On the ...

Motivations Of Individuals That Attend The Annual Pilgrimage Of Hajj, Mohammed Jabar Yaqub

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conference

No abstract provided.

Evangelical Christians’ Reflections Along The Way Of St. James, Sharenda Holland Barlar

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conference

Historically, Protestants and Evangelicals in particular have rejected the notion of pilgrimage to visit a saint or holy site. Recently, however, there has been an increased interest and acceptance of pilgrimage to non-traditionally Protestant locations. The Camino de Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage in Spain is growing in popularity among Protestants who seek a prolonged period of meditation, retreat, and prayer.

Since a religious pilgrim by definition is someone who travels to pay penance for their sins, how does the Protestant idea of grace and not works affect the evangelical pilgrim? Of particular interest to me is how evangelical students from ...

Cathedrals, Hats And Selfies, Maureen Griffiths

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conference

As tourism to religious sites increases, visitor management at such sites is an issue that is both complex and fraught with difficulties. While the visitor experience is a matter that concerns the management of the religious site, it must be considered within the wider context of the many stakeholders of the site such as worshippers, guides and clergy. This paper is based on a case study of St Paul’s Anglican Cathedral in Melbourne, which in turn, is part of a larger study. An interview was conducted with the Dean of the cathedral in relation to matters including facilities for ...

Sustainable Cultural And Religious Tourism In Namibia: Issues And Challenges, Erling Kavita, Jan Swartz, Isobel Green

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conference

The tourism sector has become an important pillar for governments and development agencies searching for socio-economic development. Recent national tourism policies in Namibia have increasingly aimed at promoting cultural heritage tourism, signifying its potential to aid with poverty reduction targets and community revitalization. While tourism development has contributed to the country’s economic growth, for cultural heritage, the thrust of the tourism industry is to make the most of the country’s natural and cultural resources. Thus, in order to preserve the cultural heritage assets in Namibia, a clear framework need to be developed that take into consideration on every ...

Rural Sacred Landscape Valorisation In North East Italy: Lessons From The Past And Future Directions, Luca Simone Rizzo, Raffaela Gabriella Rizzo, Filippo Smerghetto

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conference

As is well known, Veneto is the most-visited region in Italy. The extremely rich heritage literally insinuates itself even into every nook and cranny of its territory and reflects a notable variety of cultures. Religious heritage is an important part of it: it represents a privileged witness of local identities that, over the centuries, have shaped particular areas; one that needs to be better promoted to develop – via appropriate valorisation strategies - a type of tourism that is slow, rooted, sustainable and special.

In the Veneto, however, land use patterns have become unsustainable. In rururban territories in particular, from the ’70s ...

The Contemptible Ethnic Profiling At The Uk Airports Of Muslim And Ethnic Minority Travellers, Ayesha Chowdhury Ms, Razaq Raj

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conference

Ethnic profiling at the airport is deliberately racist. Ethnic profiling makes generalizations about entire communities. In criminal cases the Supreme Court has condemned ethnic profiling against African-Americans for a long time, because of its injustice. If ethnic profiling were used again in this way, there would be uproar. However, 'Islamaphobia' is still a socially acceptable form of racism. When one considers the number of Muslims or ethnic Middle Easterners and South-East Asians in proportion to the number of terrorists, one sees that this fear is founded on a few cases. The State should not allow institutionalized bigotry based on little ...