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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 Conferences

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 one …

Cathedrals, Hats And Selfies, Maureen Griffiths

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

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 visitors …

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

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

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 …

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

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

No abstract provided.

Perspectives Of Religious Tourism In Azerbaijan, Darius Liutikas

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

The paper deals with the analysis of religious tourism possibilities in Azerbaijan. The potential for Christian travelers is presented. Analysis includes historic background, and contemporary challenges of visiting Christian sacred places in relation to the themes of ancient history of Christianity and heritage maintenance. Religious heritage analysis of ancient Caucasian Albania is introduced. Despite diversification, phenomenon of religious tourism becomes more and more important, it involves people to consume narratives of places, which encapsulate their values. Visiting religious places in Azerbaijan such as Kish and Nij has opportunity of the growth. In order to evaluate perspectives of religious tourism in …

Fátima And Levoča Sanctuary-Towns: Development And Management Differences, Vitor Ambrósio, Alfred Krogmann, Magdaléna Nemčíková, Daša Oremusová, Alena Dubcová, Carla Norte Braga

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

Within the social sciences, particularly as regards Geography, Economics and Sociology, Religious Tourism is debated taking into account its impact on territories, local populations and the external agents strongly connected with this phenomenon.

In any urbanized area were the actions perpetuated over decades by active agents (both public and private) that have fabricated the extant realities, sanctuaries also integrate a particular touristic system.

It is necessary to establish parameters in order to understand why some sanctuaries do not make it as far as a callow stage of development while others, through a set of synergies, are able to completely change …

Tourism In Religious Sites As Type Of Ethnography Tourism, Sílvia Aulet Serrallonga, Dolors Vidal-Casellas, Neus Crous

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

This paper aims at examining the relationship between popular devotion and tourism in the case of Catalonia (Spain), which has a diverse religious heritage that often is of interest of tourists. Devotion to the Virgin Mary is clearly rooted in this territory: from churches and shrines to pilgrimages and events, most usually of local and regional significance (popular devotion).

This article will explore popular Marian devotion and its links to tourism. Even in the current context, in a largely secularized society, Marian sites remain a major point of attraction, both for devotees and non believers. In these spaces different religious …

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

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

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 …

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

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

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 issue and …

“Stepping Outside The Convent”: Leisure Participation And The Social Lives Of Irish Nuns, Tony Kiely

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

From as early as the 5^th century, Ireland has been inexorably associated with the practice and propagation of the Christian faith. Indeed, such was their scholarly prowess and missionary zeal at that time, Irish monastics were pivotal in the re-evangelisation of Europe, and re-introduction of Latin as an ecclesiastical language. However, such devout provenance was to change following the appropriation of Ireland by English Crown from the 12^th century, wherein the freedom to practice one’s religion was incrementally restricted. Worse was to follow, when in pursuant of Martin Luther’s Reformation thesis, the punitive enforcement of The Irish Penal …

Spirituality And Commemorative Events: The Centenary Of World War One In Australia, Jennifer Laing, Warwick Frost

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

A number of dark commemorative events have been staged in recent years, marking the anniversaries of incidents that are distressing or involve death or suffering (Frost and Laing, 2013). They are a medium for thinking about and remembering the past and potentially promote healing and provide a sense of closure for those affected, yet there is a paucity of research about them from a socio-cultural perspective. This paper examines the role of the Centenary of World War One in Australia in promoting positive social outcomes that are linked to spiritual development and meaningful experiences. This commemoration of the Great War, …

The Places Of Faith: The Religious Hospitality In The Italian Sanctuaries In The Early Modern Age, Silvia Beltramo

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

Since the Middle Ages, Northern Italy has been characterized as a territory of pilgrimages to monasteries, sanctuaries and Sacred Mounts. The sources testify a significant proliferation of hosteriae and hospitali in the main religious settlements, more precisely since the 12^th century in the monasteries and since the 14^th century in the sanctuaries. An authentic architecture of hospitality can be identified in the centres of Piedmont and Lombardy.

The proposal, which is the outcome of a research in progress, intends to deepen in detail some meaningful examples amongst the main Italian sanctuaries – namely: Oropa (Piedmont), Tirano (Lombardy), Loreto …

Religious Tourism Under Fascist And Communist Dictatorships: Portugal And Slovakia, Vitor Ambrósio, Alfred Krogmann, Isilda Leitão, Carlos Fernandes, Daša Oremusová, Lucia Šolcová

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

Following the chronological analysis of Christian pilgrimages over the course of around 2,000 years of existence, we find that there have been swings in their level of popularity: strong whenever the ruling classes (whether religious or civil) protect the sanctuaries most in demand; with declines occurring whenever opinion makers manage to turn leadership against participation in pilgrimages.

The paper analyses how religious tourism was influenced by two dictatorships: a fascist one in a western European country, Portugal (1928-1974) and a communist one in a central European country, Slovakia (1948-1989) – at that time part of Czechoslovakia. In the first case …

Managing Hosts And Guests In Diyafa Tradition, Shin Yasuda

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

This presentation explored the essence of Islamic hospitality by analysing ḍiyāfa practices in adab literature. The practical level of ḍiyāfa and its philosophy were of special focus by analyzing Revival of Religious Science written by Imām al-Ghazālī, which still seems to be a model for diyāfa practices, and other related adab literatures and writings.

On a practical level, Islamic hospitality is described as the practical norms or standards for both host and guest. On a philosophical level, ḍiyāfa practices reflect ethics (akhlāq), generosity (karam), rewards (faḍl), and religious duties (ḥaqq, wājib, farīḍa, or dayn) in the Islamic way, and promote …

Two Saints, Two Aristocrats: Saint Elisabeth Of Hungary And Saint Isabella Of Portugal, A Religious And Cultural Itinerary Between Central Europe And Portugal, Isilda Leitão

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

Elisabeth of Hungary (1207-1231), princess/landgrave of Thuringia, and Isabella (Isabel-Elisabeth) of Aragon (1271-1336), queen of Portugal, were two nobles who became famous due to their acts and religious practices. They are linked by the deep faith they felt, the Religious Order they followed (Saint Francis), their humble lives and the services they paid to poor and sick people. They are also related by the royal blood of Hungary’s House/Empire of Arpad, with Saint Isabella of Portugal being the great-niece of Elisabeth of Hungary (San Vicente, 1995). They are equally linked by the miracle that, among others, earned them immortality: …

The Italian Museums Of Shrines. Specificities And Relations With Pilgrimage, Lorenzo Bagnoli, Rita Capurro

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

Italy is a country very rich of Shrines in all her regions, destinations of more or less important local pilgrimages. A lot of them have a specific museum deeply connected with the sacred place and its history. The aim of this research is to verify in which way visiting one of those museums is part of the pilgrimage itself, and in which way it is possible to find a link between the religious identity of the pilgrims and the cultural content of the museum. A few case-studies, chosen among museums of little dimensions and representative of different Italian regions, will …

Development Of Mosque Tourism Framework As A Tool To Reduce Islamophobia, Kristel Kessler, Razaq Raj

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

The geopolitical situation since September 11th has witnessed the development of terrorist acts and the over mediatized notion of radicalisation and religious extremism. Terrorism prones the suppression of liberty, gender equality, critical thinking and tolerance while adhering to strict principles referencing the Sharia Law which are associated to Islam. Consequently terrorism and Islam have often been linked with significant ramifications for the Muslim communities. Terrorism has always existed, however the “new wave of extremism” is unique under the self-proclaimed Islamic State because it does not require well-planned actions with commendatory groups and it rather encourages isolated and individual command and …

Sacral Heritage In Cultural And Geographical Trans-Boundary Space Of Europe, Tomasz Duda

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

Boundary zones are areas of mutual penetration of social, economic and cultural elements. They are conveyor belts of some kind, carriers of information, thoughts, actions, also in the context of broadly understood cultural heritage (including faith and religion). What is important - such regions are the clear nodal points (or even zones), focusing and targeting (or blocking) the transfer of many ideological, religious and cultural elements, often different from each other.

The purpose of this article is to show the diversity of religious heritage in the area of influence of several cultures, faiths and religions, and also an attempt to …

Consumption Of Zamzam Water As A Natural Health Medicine For Visitors Attending Pilgrimage In Makkah, Tariq H. M. Elhadary, Razaq Raj

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

The Zam Zam is the name of the well in city of Makkah that provides water to visitors who are attending pilgrimage. Over the last 4500 years billions of people have drunk water from the well of Zam Zam. During the annual Hajj festival pilgrims drink and wash themselves with the Zam Zam. The Quraan has stated in verse 21:30 ‘and we have made of water everything living, will they not then believe’. It is because of its religious character that Zamzam has a unique identification: the most sacred and miraculous water well in the history of Islam if not …

Jacob’S Ladder: Sa‘Ī, Abdulla Galadari

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

This paper looks at the symbolism of the traversing between the hills of Ṣafa and Marwah (sa‘ī) from the traditional Muslim stories pertaining to it, and its intertextualities with the Bible. A linguistic method is used to understand how the Qur’an uses polysemy in its language to symbolize some of its rituals. It is shown that the term “sa‘ī” in the Qur’an is used to symbolize the traversing between death and life. This symbolism is compared with Jacob’s Ladder in Genesis, as Jacob sees the angels ascending and descending from heaven in a location that he …

New Step From Islamic Countries For Tourism: Oic, The Concept Of Capital City Of Islamic Tourism, Yasin Bilim

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

At the end of 2013, in Gambia, all members countries of OIC (the Organization of Islamic Cooperation) agreed to hold a conference to explore and develop Islamic tourism potential in member countries. After this meeting, in Indonesia 4^th member countries’ Tourism Ministries’ Coordination meeting was organized in June 2014. Main discussions of the conference were on understanding the growing demand of Islamic values in global economy and tourism industry. Bases on these goals, OIC announced the concept of “Tourism Capital City of Islamic Countries” firstly and for 2015 Jerusalem, 2016 Konya / Turkey, 2017 Madinah / Saudi Arabia, 2018 …

The Proliferation, Commercialization, And Secularization Of The Seven Gods Of Good Fortune Pilgrimages In Modern Japan, Daniel H. Olsen, Greg Wilkinson

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

Osaka’s Thirteen Buddha Pilgrimage is a route through the greater Osaka area to Buddhist temples. Thirteen Buddha pilgrimage routes have experienced growth in participation over the past few years. This new popularity has increased the number of thirteen Buddha pilgrimages routes. This proliferation in routes are a phenomenon, which deserves attention because pilgrimage participation is often used not only as an illustration of a specific religious practice but also a significant variable in the continuing discourse about Japan’s secularization (Reader 2012). This study investigates more specifically Osaka’s thirteen Buddha pilgrimage sites and how each has become a location for multiple …

Long-Distance Walking In 'The Way': Promises Of Healing And Redemption, Warwick Frost, Jennifer Laing

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

Films can be a source of inspiration to travel and influence imaginings about travel (Frost, 2010; Frost and Laing, 2015). This paper analyses the depiction of long-distance walking as an activity that promotes healing in The Way (2010); a film about pilgrims on the Camino Way in Spain. The motif of redemption is used to understand this cinematic narrative. It is the third pillar of ‘the Christian eschatological narratives of sin, sacrifice and redemption’ (Taylor, 2001: 10), but also a common element in many sacred stories (McAdams et al., 2001), where the sinner atones for what they have done and …

The Increasing Value Of Cultural Routes And Religious Itineraries For Potential Tourism Destinations., Elisa Piva, Stefania Cerutti

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

The increasing value of Cultural Routes and Religious Itineraries for potential tourism destinations.

Osaka’S Thirteen Buddhas: The Proliferation Of Modern Japanese Pilgrimage Routes Extended Abstract, Greg Wilkinson

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

Osaka’s Thirteen Buddha Pilgrimage is a route through the greater Osaka area to Buddhist temples. Thirteen Buddha pilgrimage routes have experienced growth in participation over the past few years. This new popularity has increased the number of thirteen Buddha pilgrimages routes. This proliferation in routes are a phenomenon, which deserves attention because pilgrimage participation is often used not only as an illustration of a specific religious practice but also a significant variable in the continuing discourse about Japan’s secularization (Reader 2012). This study investigates more specifically Osaka’s thirteen Buddha pilgrimage sites and how each has become a location for multiple …

Religious Tourism & The Azorean Diaspora In The Usa, Cristina Carvalho, Vitor Ambrósio

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

The article focuses on the Azorean diaspora in North America in historic and cultural terms. The analysis of official tourist reports and inquiries, newspaper articles and Online sources allow us to perceive which generations preserve the religious factor as pivotal for the attendance of the events, and which one/s already reveal shifting trends.

Religion is still an important element to summon the Azorean diaspora spread across the USA. The Ecce Homo procession is celebrated in towns like Fall River (Massachusetts) and Half Moon Bay (California), although Ponta Delgada (São Miguel island) still remains the devotional core – the former and …

Cultural And Religious Tourism - The Case Of The Tesouro Da Misericórdia Museum, Joaquim Antunes, Henrique Almeida, Cristina Barroco

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

This paper describes the process of implementation and development of “Tesouro da Misericórdia Museum”, a museum that was born in the building of the Misericórdia church in the city of Viseu (Portugal) and has contributed to improvement the tourism activity in the region. The methodology of the study was based on a structured interview with the director of the museum and on surveys of visitors of the museum, in order to perceive the profile of the tourist who visits the museum. A total of 101 questionnaires were collected and analyzed. Finally, future development strategies are presented in an interdisciplinary perspective, …

Emotional Connection, Cognitive Engagement And Post-Experience Behaviours In Religious Site Visits: A Search On Mawlana Museum In Konya, Turkey, Özgür Özer, Feridun Duman, Özlem Güzel

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

This study looks at different motives that tourists experience for their vacations and visit different holiday destinations. Tourist experiences are more than physical travels to places. Therefore, major tourist destinations associate themselves with sacred people e.g. St. Philipius or Virgin Mary, sometimes a Sufi such as Mawlana or Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. These associations with the sacred people create emotional connections and cognitive engagements with these destinations. These emotional connections and cognitive engagements in turn lead to destination loyalty. Within this context, this study specifically aims at (1) exploring the effects of religious sites on emotional connections and cognitive engagements, (2) …

Developing Spiritual Tourism For Youngsters, The Spirit-Youth Example, Silvia Aulet, Judit Diaz, Dolors Vidal

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

Spiritual tourism was coined from an academic standpoint only recently, probably because the word spiritual is difficult to define and the label can therefore include different types of supply. Spiritually motivated tourists are an emerging niche (Aulet, Vidal-Casellas, & Crous, 2015). According to UNTWO estimates, around 330 million tourists visit the main religious sites each year, spiritual motivation being one of the most important reasons for this (Lanquar, 2007). Bywater (1994) also mentioned that spiritual travel occupies an important segment of international tourism and has been growing steadily.

SPIRIT-Youth is a COSME project (COSME-TOUR-2015-3-04) funded by the European Commission’s Executive …

The Body Of Christ (“Corpus Christi”): Feast, Devotion And Local/Regional Tourism In Sao Manuel City (Brazil), Gílson De Lima Garófalo, Terezinha Filgueiras De Pinho

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

The contribution addresses the ceremony of The Body of Christ (“Corpus Christi”) in a town in the interior of Brazil in Sao Paulo State - the city of Sao Manuel, where since the 1940s the celebration mobilizes almost the a significant part of the local population in the task of embellishing the streets covered by the procession. Preparations include choice or defining drawings for walkways and ornamental rugs, arrangements concerning the material, including, in specific cases, the artificial coloring, molding, demarcation of soil, divulgation and logistics support to tourists, cleaning of streets post event and alike. The research …