Digital Commons Network^™

K3) From Sacred Landscape To Pilgrimage Environment: The Case Of Monte San Giorgio And Mendrisio, Lorenzo Cantoni, Adine Gavazzi

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

Across Europe, numerous historic pilgrimage landscapes no longer function as dominant religious destinations, yet devotional practices persist in fragmented, latent, or reinterpreted forms. Pilgrimage however appears to be undergoing a process of transformation within postsecular communities, where spiritual meaning coexists with heritage tourism, community identity, and cultural landscape management. Building on religious tourism studies, pilgrimage is understood as mobility toward sacred sites as well as a ritual process embedded in tradition, motivation, and lived experience (Griffin & Raj 2017). Contemporary scholarship emphasises that pilgrimage preserve the experiential and relational practice linking people, landscape and belief systems, while fighting the tourist …

K1) Negotiating The Sacred: Religious Sensitivities Within Contemporary Tourism Practices, Polyxeni G. Moira Dr

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

This study critically analyses ways of managing religious sensitivities in the contemporary tourism environment, focusing on the dynamic intersections between religious-cultural heritage, spirituality, and the visitor experience. Recognizing the diversity of tourist motivations—which range from traditional pilgrimage to purely cultural, historical, or educational pursuits—the study argues for the need for flexible models of governance. These models must strike a delicate balance between the accessibility of sacred sites and the necessary respect for their sanctity.

Through a thorough review of the interventions of international organizations (such as UNESCO, UNWTO, and ICCROM) and the analysis of good practice studies from various continents, …

K2) (Over) Tourism And Tolkien’S Doors Of Durin: Challenges And Opportunities For St Edward’S Local Parish Church, Ruth Dowson, Karen Wellman

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

This paper considers the impacts of overtourism on the local parish church in the English Cotswolds that allegedly inspired Tolkien’s Doors of Durin (Lord of the Rings), and which was also the location of the ending of the English Civil War in the 17th Century. As a convenient stopping place for coaches, the picturesque village of Stow-on-the-Wolds has numerous tea shops; its unique historical and literary connections have made St Edwards Parish Church into a destination for approximately 200,000 visitors a year (the equivalent of ten coaches every day). This research project assesses the visitors’ footprint: demographics; where they come …

L3) Drawing, Religious Experience And The Pilgrim’S Mind, Stephen F. Haller

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

While some tourism activities can be a positive obstacle to awareness and connection, other tourism activities, like drawing, can lead to inner development, wonder, and a heightened experience. A traveller’s activity of sketching and drawing is a meditative exercise in concentration and focus that can transform one’s experience and enhance their perception. It often facilitates the experience of connection to the place being drawn; to nature; and to a community. If developed as a frequent habit, drawing can be a character-building activity with virtues that continue even after the act of drawing is over. It is a method of altering …

L2) More Than Faith: Self-Fulfilment As A Key Driver Of Memorable Religious Tourism, Sau Ying Pamela Ho, Jing (Bill) Xu

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

While traditional perspectives on religious tourism often emphasize faith as the primary motivator, this study challenges that assumption, revealing that the pursuit of self-fulfilment is a more powerful and significant driver of memorable visitor experiences. This research delves into the psychological underpinnings of pilgrimage, seeking to understand what transforms a simple visit into a profoundly impactful journey that enhances a visitor’s sense of self-worth.

To investigate these dynamics, the study adopted the ABC Model of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT). This framework posits that an Activating event (visiting a religious attraction) triggers an individual’s internal Belief system (religiosity and self-fulfilment), …

L1) Religious Tourism In Islam: Between Spiritual Purpose And Sincere Intention, Tariq Elhadary, Razaq Raj

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

This study explores religious tourism in Islam through the interrelated concepts of spiritual purpose and sincere intention. It argues that the Islamic understanding of religious experience extends beyond physical travel or the visitation of sacred sites, grounding its value in the inner dimension of faith. Islam prioritizes the essence of actions over their outward form, establishing conviction of the heart before verbal affirmation and physical practice. Accordingly, intention serves as the primary criterion for assessing the validity, acceptance, and spiritual completeness of deeds. Religious journeys such as Hajj, Umrah, and visits to holy sites therefore attain their authentic significance when …

Why Not Pachucos? Mexican Americans, Hollywood, And The Impact Of Sleepy Lagoon In The 1940s And 1950s, Krystal Catalina Ledesma

Journal of 20th Century Media History

The unsolved murder of a young Mexican American on the outskirts of Los Angeles in 1942—commonly known as the Sleepy Lagoon Murder—came at a pivotal time in Mexican American history. The consequent arrests, unjust trial, and imprisonment of over one dozen young Mexican American men caused such a stir that Sleepy Lagoon is considered a precursor to the infamous Zoot Suit Riots of 1943. During the Sleepy Lagoon trial, impassioned leftists in Los Angeles created the Sleepy Lagoon Defense Committee (SLDC) to raise awareness about the crime and trial and to collect funds from supporters across the U.S., who ranged …

Poetics Of Space In Casaccia's La Babosa, Boujemaa El Abkari

BOUHOUT

This article analyses the poetics of space in Gabriel Casaccia's novel La Babosa, examining how spatial configurations and the representation of place contribute to the construction of meaning, identity, and social critique in this landmark work of Paraguayan literature.

An Approach To The Conception Of Roman Imperialism, Houcine Rahmoune

BOUHOUT

This article analyses the concept of Roman imperialism, examining the theoretical frameworks through which it has been interpreted and the historical evidence that illuminates the nature and extent of Roman imperial expansion.

Post-Colonial Theory And The Reading Of Emergent Literatures, Hassan Zrizi

BOUHOUT

This article examines post-colonial theory and its application to the reading of emergent literatures, analysing the critical frameworks through which postcolonial texts from Africa and other formerly colonised regions can be interpreted.

The Lalla Maghnia Convention And Its Circumstances, Abderrazak El Siddiki

BOUHOUT

This article examines the Lalla Maghnia Convention and the circumstances surrounding its conclusion, analysing its significance for the definition of the Moroccan-Algerian border and its lasting implications in the context of French colonial policy in North Africa.

The El Niño Phenomenon And Its Impact On Climatic Variations In The World, Abdelaziz Bahou

BOUHOUT

This article examines the El Niño phenomenon and its impact on climatic variations across the world, analysing the mechanisms of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and its consequences for weather patterns, agriculture, and ecosystems at a global scale.

Awdaghust: A Monographic Study Of The Borders Of Medieval Morocco (3rd–4th–5th Centuries Ah / 9th–10th–11th Centuries Ad), Zlikha Ben Ramdan

BOUHOUT

This article offers a monographic study of Awdaghust, examining its role in defining the borders of medieval Morocco across the 3rd to 5th centuries AH (9th to 11th centuries AD), with attention to its geographical, political, and commercial significance.

The Question Of Borders In Interpreting The Conflict Between The Idrisids, The Rustamids, And The Barghawata, Mohamed El Idrissi El Jouhari

BOUHOUT

This article analyses the role of borders in understanding the conflict between the Idrisid, Rustamid, and Barghawata dynasties in medieval Morocco, examining how territorial boundaries shaped political and military rivalries in the early Islamic Maghreb.

On The Problematic Of The Northern Andalusian Borders Of Moroccan States During The Last Quarter Of The 5th Century Ah / 11th Century Ad, Mohamed Ya'la

BOUHOUT

This article examines the problematic of the northern Andalusian borders of Moroccan states during the last quarter of the 5th century AH (11th century AD), analysing the territorial dynamics and political configurations that defined this frontier zone.

What Philosophical Lesson Do The Human Sciences Offer?, Salem Yafout

BOUHOUT

This article examines the philosophical lessons that the human sciences offer, interrogating the epistemological status of disciplines such as sociology, psychology, and history and their implications for philosophical thought.

J3) The Autopoiesis Of Pilgrimage Tourism: How Cruise Passengers Self-Organise Transformational Meaning In Mass Tourism, Taja Macek, Tadeja Jere Jakulin

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

Modern cruise tourism presents a theoretical paradox for the Mediterranean basin. Every year, millions of passengers sail along maritime routes that follow ancient pilgrimage routes. They head towards Rome, the Holy Land, and the coastal approaches to Lourdes, Santiago, and Montserrat. All this takes place within one of the most operationally regulated and commercially standardised forms of mass tourism. Even within this structural rigidity, travellers regularly report profound personal transformation, spiritual encounters, and meaning-making that are strikingly reminiscent of traditional pilgrimage narratives (Collins-Kreiner, 2010; Olsen & Timothy, 2006). This discrepancy between the system's design and the individual's experience poses a …

J1) Reorienting The Pilgrim-Tourist Dichotomy, Daniel H. Olsen

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

Over the past decade, the pilgrim–tourist dichotomy, originally articulated by Smith (1992), has come under sustained scrutiny, particularly in light of postmodern critiques that problematize rigid dualisms and emphasize the fluidity of personal identity. Scholars have long debated the usefulness of this binary framework. On one hand, some have sought to refine the dichotomy by inserting additional categories along a spectrum, attempting to capture the nuances between pilgrims and tourists. On the other hand, many critics have dismissed the model’s analytical utility entirely, often without offering a concrete alternative to understand the distinctions between these two types of travelers.

This …

J2) Whose Sacredness? A Systematized Review Of Theoretical Grounding And Social Representation In Tourism Studies, Ana Maria Candell Saldarreaga, Silvia Aulet

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

This paper presents a critical and systematized literature review of how sacred spaces and sites are conceptualized within tourism studies. Although research increasingly engages with religious, spiritual, heritage, and secular sites, the concept of 'sacredness' is frequently employed without explicit definition or consistent theoretical grounding, often leading to an analytical ambiguity between traditional devotion and contemporary heritage consumption. Consequently, the central question this study addresses is: In what ways is tourism scholarship conceptualizing sacrality, and what is being overlooked in the process. To address this, the study examines dominant disciplinary perspectives, the types of spaces analysed, and the positioning of …

I3) The Apparitions Of Notre Dame Du Lac (Our Lady Of The Lake) In Togo: Or The Roman Church's Strategy In Africa, Pierre Fournié, Henri Dou

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

"Our Lady of the Lake. Mother of Mercy”, reads the inscription on the statue of Virgin Mary. Overlooking Lake Togo, visible from many points within the Marian shrine, it symbolizes the devotion that illuminates the site since its inauguration in November 1973. The weakest, the poorest, those who suffer come here seeking the care and protection. Since the Virgin was seen by villagers above the waters in 1971, and the visit of Pope John Paul II consecrating the place in 1985, the sanctuary welcomes every year on the shores of Lake Togo, thousands of believers, faithful, curious people, but also …

I2) Unlocking The Potential Of Pilgrimage Tourism For Post War Tourism Recovery: Evidence From Tigray, Ethiopia, Asefash Dejine Asefash Ayallew, Silvia Aulet

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

This study examines the role of pilgrimage tourism for supporting post conflict tourism recovery in Tigray, Ethiopia, with particular focus on the pilgrimage site of Saint Mary Axum Zion in the historic city of Axum. The region possesses rich religious and cultural heritage that has historically attracted large number of pilgrims and visitors.

The need for this study arises from the devastating Tigray war (2020–2023), which resulted the destruction of religious sites, looting of artifacts, collapse of tourism services and loss of livelihoods connected to the sector. However, despite these challenges several pilgrimage destinations have continued as important point of …

I1) Ancient Pilgrimage Routes As Tools For Durable Territorial Development: Insights From The Camino De Santiago And The Via Francigena, Maria Laura Gasparini

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

Pilgrimage is a practice common to all major religions, involving a journey undertaken for spiritual or religious purposes towards a sacred site (Smith, 1992). Considered a forerunner of modern tourism (Di Giovine & Elsner, 2016; pilgrimage today is experiencing a notable phase of rejuvenation (Collins-Kreiner, 2016), increasingly marked by personal quests for meaning and spirituality (Trono, 2015). Beyond its religious and spiritual dimension, pilgrimage has been revitalised globally as a form of outdoor and slow tourism. The growing development of both historical and contemporary routes has captured the attention of policymakers, who increasingly recognise their potential for fostering local development, …

Enhancing Research Communication With Visual Tools, Sonya Fogg

Library Class: Lunch & Learn

Understand the role of visual communication in medical research. Distinguish between data visualizations, infographics, and visual abstracts. Identify best practices and some resources and tools for creating effective visuals.

From Interpretation To Experience: Narrative As A Space Of Encounter With The Sacred In Religious Tourism, Tomasz Duda

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: July 25, 1984

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1980s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: July 18, 1984

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1980s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthon: July 3, 1984

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1980s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: July 11, 1984

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1980s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: June 20, 1984

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1980s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: June 27, 1984

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1980s

No abstract provided.