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Sacred And Space In Post-Secular Pilgrimage: The Camino De Santiago And Relational Model Of The Sacred, Piotr Roszak

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The aim of this paper is to shed light on the changes in perceiving the sacred which have appeared in the history of pilgrimage. These are linked with different theological approaches to space and subsequent periods of desacralisation, secularization and re-sacralisation. Relying on a modern theology of pilgrimage and research into the philosophy of religion by M. Eliade the paper offers a new interpretation of the message of the Camino de Santiago which overcomes previous reductionisms based on seeing the sacred solely in the destination (the shrine). The relationship with the Camino and the content of pilgrim blessings indicate the …

Pilgrims’ Play On The Santiago Way, Daniel Moulin-Stożek

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The popularity of the walking pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela across Northern Spain is often understood as a new kind of spiritual tourism rather than a revival of religious practice. In order to examine this claim, I explore common symbolic and ritual practices on the trail such as rock placing, message making, role playing, and partaking in communal play activities. I elaborate the concept of play to explain these behaviors and consider how they relate to transcendental and sacred meanings. This analysis has important implications for explaining the current popularity of the Camino. In particular, it helps explain how the …

From Private Devotion To Universal Phenomenon: The Way Of Saint James In Spain, The Case Of Navarra, Alban D’Entremont, Jesús Tanco Lerga

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This article analyses the process leading to the restoring, revitalisation and consolidation of the Way of Saint James in Spain in recent decades, and its conversion from a merely private and residual pilgrimage route of just several hundred individuals, into an important cultural and spiritual reality having a worldwide impact. The region of Navarra is used to highlight typical places of interest located on the Way of Saint James, and as an example of an experience that can be extrapolated and exported, of the activities, projects, events, decisions and actions undertaken in a huge collaborative effort that has given rise …

Religious Tourism Vs. Sacred Space Experience: Conflict Or Complementary Interaction?, Tomasz Duda, Dariusz Doburzyński

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Contemporary religious tourism, which in many cases is incorrectly identified with the phenomenon of pilgrimage, has developed in recent years as a separate form of migration and activity in the tourism space. However, in the literature of the subject, there is a large variety of problem perspectives, depending on the viewpoint chosen by the given author and the scientific discipline that he/she represents. The most frequently occurring problem is the terminological ambiguity regarding the concepts of ‘religious tourism’ and ‘pilgrimage’. The aim of this article is to draw attention to the diversity of understanding of the sacred space presented by …

Title Page And Table Of Contents Volume 7(V) Ijrtp, Piotr Roszak, Franciszek Mróz, Kevin Griffin, Razaq Raj, Carlos Fernandes

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

No abstract provided.

Pilgrimages Through Time And Space. The Case Of Marian Pilgrimages In Greece, Dimitrios Mylonopoulos, Polyxeni Moira, Spyridon Parthenis

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Since ancient times and throughout history, religious sentiment has been one of the motives for people undertaking pilgrimages, seeking to communicate with the divine in sacred places. Travelling for religious reasons fulfilled a spiritual need and their undertaking was considered to be a redeeming action.

It is indeed difficult to identify any other human activity so widespread in space and so resilient in time as undertaking a pilgrimage to shrines. Since antiquity there has been a firm belief that praying or fulfilling one’s religious tasks is more efficient when it takes place in specific sites: in places where gods or …

Perspectives On The Improvement Of Uzbekistan As A Destination For Multi-Confessional Self-Organised Pilgrims, Bakhtiyor Negmatovich Navruz-Zoda, Nutfillo Ibragimov, Akmal Rakhmanov

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

By accenting the tourism industry as one of the most valuable sectors for prosperity and appreciating its potential in new social-economic reforms, the administration of the Republic of Uzbekistan has been making visible steps for its development. Particularly religious tourism and pilgrimage are noted as offering opportunities for modernisation in a global world. Carrying a major geographical role in the connection of main trade routes between East and West, the country became the crossroad of civilisation and religious diffusions. Consequently, with new religious tourism and pilgrimage flows: following the earliest dominating beliefs of Zoroastrianism, and its New Age followers; being …

Rediscovering The Walisongo, Indonesia: A Potential New Destination For International Pilgrimage, Pierre Fournié

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The current paper explores the tradition of Walisongo, the nine saints or nine friends of God, that according to tradition initiated the islamisation of Java in the XV and XVI centuries. Largely unknown outside of Indonesia, the Wali Songo pilgrimage remains unfamiliar in the archipelago as well.

Besides allowing a deeper understanding of the roots of Indonesian religious history and of the spread and acceptance of Islam, rediscovering the Wali Songo may help to reintroduce a peaceful image of the Muslim world. In such a way, reactivating the tradition of Wali Songo outside of the country but also inside, may …

Spirituality, Organisational Climate And Religious Tourism, Gilson De Lima Garofalo, Terezinha Filgueiras Pinho, Moacir José Rossetti Júnior

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This contribution discusses spirituality in the context of organisations and issues that may arise with regard to those who, in the future will act in the field of religious tourism. In this way, it presents a proposal in terms of motivation, joy, inner peace and deeper understanding. Initially the work adopts the deductive method with descriptive research based on literature addressing the spirituality inherent in those who exercise or will carry out activities in this important tourism segment. A survey was carried out to explore the close connections between spirituality and religiousness, and link this to the behaviour and practices …

Motivations To Visit Jerusalem, Santiago De Compostela And Fatima As Sacred Destinations: A Generational Approach, Carla Silva, José Luís Abrantes, Ram Herstein, Manuel Reis

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The present study analyses in a holistic and multidisciplinary approach the motivations that tourists have to visit sacred places. The goal is to find out what are the key motivational factors that determine their choice. It supplies an extensive literature review focusing on the concept of motivations, which allows us to identify the main reasons that draw people to sites.

The fieldwork of this study includes pilgrims and or tourists at three sacred sites: Fátima (Portugal), Santiago de Compostela (Spain) and Jerusalem (Israel). Fieldwork includes surveys of 633 tourists from different religions visiting these symbolic places who belong to generations …

Places And Religious Bands: Explorations In Spiritual Tourism, Antonietta Ivona, Donatella Privitera

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The musical aspect of religious tourism is currently amongst the less investigated themes. A first survey suggests that although it does not appear to be the main motivation for religious travel, it is a valued component of the experience. The aim of this study is to explore how sounds operate to forge social and spiritual identifications on the principles of Lefebvre’s rhythm analysis (2004).

This paper contributes to the emerging field of experiential tourism research by confirming that religious experiences are not only interior but also involve sensory experiences. It follows that tourists’ sensory experiences should be a key component …

Stakeholder Perceptions Of Religious Tourism And Local Development: Evidence From Lamego (Portugal) Historic Town, Ana Paula Rodrigues, Isabel Vieira, Luciano Ferreira, Rui Madeira

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The purpose of this study is to explore the views of different stakeholder groups (visitors, residents and local agents - heritage managers, tour operators, local authorities, Priests and head of the Church, directors of institutions linked to tourism) about the relationship between religion and tourism in a historic town setting. The main purpose is to examine the opinions/views/perceptions of different stakeholder groups about religious tourism and local development.

A mixed methodological (quantitative and qualitative) approach was used in order to analyse the perceptions and opinions of three stakeholders groups. The opinions of visitors (120) and residents (150) were analysed using …

Pilgrimage And Its Perception In A Local Religious Community, Béla Árvavölgyi, Judit Sági

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

In this paper, the authors aim at examining how pilgrimage might positively change the personal life of the participating individual, and the life of the releasing community. In the authors’ perception, where the individual is a member of a local religious community, after returning home he or she reports about his or her experiences to other members of the community; thus one member is positively influencing the community as a whole. This research study is focusing on Christian pilgrimage, however, due to the common nature of pilgrimage in different kind of religions the authors believe that the results of this …

Cultural Routes Crossing Portugal: History And Traditions, Odete Paiva, Cláudia Seabra, José Luís Abrantes

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Cultural routes across different regions create real opportunities to improve tourism dynamics, offering tourists more valuable experiences bringing benefits to the entire tourism value chain and to all tourism-related sectors (Perdomo, 2015). This study analyses the potential of a cultural and tourist product based on two routes in the Centre of Portugal, one following the path laid out by the 3rd French Invasion and another following the Historical National Road Nº2. The main goal is to investigate the attractiveness and market potential for the two routes specifically in the domestic market. Based on the results of a questionnaire applied to …

Creating And Contesting Latter-Day Saint Pilgrimage To Nauvoo, Illinois, Scott Esplin

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (frequently referred to as Latter-day Saints or Mormons) share with other faiths a desire to celebrate sites significant to their founding. By memorialising religious sacred space, the Church of Jesus Christ has created a desire among many of its more than sixteen million members to retrace the steps of their early faith leaders as pilgrims. As with other religious sites around the world, Latter-day Saint pilgrimage destinations have also become scenes of contestation. Churches that divided from the original movement offer rival interpretations of the its history and beliefs, leading …

Pilgrimage And Ancestors: The Importance Of Return, Jörgen Hellman

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Drawing on ethnographic material from pilgrimages on West Java I argue that understandings of pilgrimage will benefit from including the return home in order to fully appreciate the meaning it holds for pilgrims. If we include into the study an extensive period after coming home, it facilitates situating the practice in a specific socio-cultural context and helps to understand how a pilgrimage partakes in these settings rather than being a ‘ “one off” transient and extraordinary’ event (Reader 2005:249). The meaning of pilgrimage described in the paper is formed by deep seated cultural notions about ancestors and descent. In the …

Volume 7(Iv) Title Page & Table Of Contents, Lucrezia Lopez, Xose Santos, Kevin A. Griffin, Razaq Raj, Carlos Fernandes

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

No abstract provided.

The Outstanding Heritages Of Adwa, Ethiopia, Teklebrhan Legese, Daniel Alemshet

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Identification and documentation of the heritage potential of Ethiopia’s tourism resources is in its infant stage among which Adwa’s resources are considered. Therefore this study is conducted to disclose the potentials of heritages in Adwa, Ethiopia. The objective is to disclose and describe the outstanding heritages of Adwa, Ethiopia. The methods used were fieldwork, observation and literature review. The major results are: that Adwa is home to several notable archaeological sites, historical events, religious places, as well as beautiful mountain chains and highland scenery. The heritage potential includes Yeha cultural and historical site and the Monastery of Aba (Father) Aftse …

Spiritual Tourism As A Tool For Sustainability: A Case Study Of Nakhon Phanom Province, Thailand, Preedaree Sirirat

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

In the past decade, the number of spiritual tourists in Asia and across the world has rapidly increased, impacting the environment and community lifestyles. This study aimed to develop a practical process of participative education and sustainable tourism activities in the form of spiritual tourism. This involved deploying the concepts of environmental education, community participation, and Buddhist Dharma in an integrated manner. The objectives of the study were: (1) to study the potential for spiritual tourism of destinations in Nakhon Phanom province, (2) to synthesise a spiritual tourism pilot tour project, and (3) to evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot …

Mobile Application For Thai & Foreign Tourists Visiting Thai Temple, Kewalin Angkananon, Piyabud Plodaksorn, Mike Wald

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This research gathered requirements from Thai and foreign tourists to successfully design Thai and English Android and IOS versions of a mobile application to provide an enhanced experience for tourists visiting the Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan (PMW) Temple in Thailand. The content and user interface were designed based on theories and related research and three experts evaluated the prototype to improve the final application versions which were evaluated at the temple by Thai and foreign tourists. Analysis of the results showed that both the Thai and foreign tourists found similar high satisfaction with the performance of the Android and IOS mobile …

Risk Perceptions Among Religiously Practicing Tourists: Are They Group Differentiated?, Aliza Jonas, Lee Cahaner, Yoel Mansfeld

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Religiousness and religious affiliation as a cultural phenomenon generating an array of travel risk perceptions has attracted only a handful of researchers so far. Using the case of the Ultra Orthodox Haredi community in Israel, we explored how belonging to a specific religious group within this community generates different risk perception constructs. Using the theoretical ‘Value Stretch’ model embedded into a ‘Nominal Group Technique’ methodology, we revealed that, generally, risk perceptions among religiously different Haredi groups are group differentiated. This is a result of various religious, cultural, social, and environmental differences, which characterise each Haredi subgroup. The findings call for …

Primo Levi’S Journey Home From Auschwitz In The Light Of Ancient Civic Pilgrimage: Levi’S The Truce As A Form Of Theōria, Robert Pirro

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Primo Levi, a Jewish-Italian chemist captured with other members of a partisan band in German-occupied northern Italy and deported to Auschwitz, survived his ordeal to write one of the more acclaimed testimonies of Nazi inhumanity, Se questo è un uomo (Survival in Auschwitz). Taking as a starting point a parallel Levi explicitly draws between the aims of postwar pilgrimages to Auschwitz commemorations and the effect he hoped his books would have on his readers, this article shows how his second book, La tregua (The Reawakening), which relates his roundabout and oft-delayed journey home to Turin after the Red Army’s liberation …

Moderating Effect Of The Use Of Ewom On Subjective Norms, Behavioural Control And Religious Tourist Revisit Intention, Ofunre C. Iriobe, Elizabeth O. Abiola-Oke

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Religious activities are a common topic of discussion on various platforms and online forums in Nigeria. These online interactions shape opinions and attitudes of tourist to a religious destination. The use of electronic word of mouth has become a factor in influencing behavioural intention. Hence, this study investigated the relationship between the use of eWOM and tourist revisiting intention to a religious destination and the effect of the use of eWOM on the relationship between Subjective Norm, Perceived Behavioural control and Revisit intention of visitors to religious destinations.

The hypotheses for the study was tested using a Hierarchical Regression model. …

Nexus Between Religious Journeys And Economic Influences – The Case Of Saudi Arabia, Rozina Shaheen

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This research investigates the role of economic factors in affecting faith-based travelling to Saudi Arabia and suggests GDP per capita income, relative price, population size, trade volume and cost of travelling as major determinants of religious tourism to the country of destination. This study is an important contribution to the literature on religious tourism as it provides empirical linkages between spiritual decisions and economic influences. In addition, this study adds new propositions to theory and identifies religious tourism as a ‘Veblen good’. This research uses monthly data covering the time period 2004 m1 - 2015m12. It employs an ARDL bound …

Searching For The Green Man: Researching Pilgrimage In Israel/Palestine And Egypt, Mary Thurlkill

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This article examines contemporary pilgrimage in Israel / Palestine and Egypt, based upon field work conducted December 2017-February 2018 and personal narrative. My argument is twofold: first, I contend that Pilgrimage Studies allows scholars to move beyond reductive labels and consider the implicit ‘messiness’ of religious faith and ritual praxis. I introduce the Islamic al-Khidr and Moses story from Qur’an 18.60-82, as an interpretative model, suggesting that rigid categorization—especially concerning religious identity and sectarian division—promotes a false narrative of monolithic faith traditions that, upon closer examination, does not fully exist. Second, by referencing my ethnographic experiences, I consider pilgrimage as …

Missionaries On A Pilgrimage, Or Pilgrims On A Mission? Elements Of Pilgrimage In The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints Missionary Experience, Elisha Mcintyre, Daniel H. Olsen

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The purpose of this paper is to consider the ways in which proselytizing missions by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are pilgrimage-like. After outlining the historical and theological background behind the Church’s missionary efforts and discuss how this missionary work is organized both practically and social, the similarities between Church missions and religious pilgrimage are compared based on six themes: journeying and the sacred, liminality, communitas, hardships, status, and change and failure.

Volume 7(Iii) Table Of Contents, Kevin Griffin, Razaq Raj, Carlos Fernandes

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

No abstract provided.

Preserving Traveller’S Memory In Religious Destinations, Polyxeni Moira, Dimitrios Mylonopoulos, Anastasia Parasxi

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Preserving memory from the visit of a tourist destination plays an important role in tourist activity. In pilgrimage in particular, and in religious tourism in general, the preservation of this memory constitutes a spiritual process associated with the sanctity of the place. Obviously, the degree of spirituality varies according to the traveller’s personality and religious beliefs. Following the return home, the religious memorabilia and ‘souvenirs’ play an important role in the ‘confirmation’ of the trip or the fulfilment of the vow, as well as in the preservation of the memory. At first one could claim that religious souvenirs serve or …

Religious Tourism And Emotional Experiences: An Emotional Cartography Of Jerusalem, Ion Gil Fuentetaja, Marina Abad-Galzacorta

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

An increasingly important segment of cultural tourism relates to ‘religious travel’, tourism motivated by spiritual reasons or associated with religious heritage sites. Thus, travel agencies are offering extensive journey packages to ancient places of worship, sacred destinations and pilgrimage sites. In this sense, according to data offered by the Ministry of Tourism of Israel, around one fifth of tourists to the country expressed religious tourism or pilgrimage as the main purpose of their visit. Additionally, tourism is greatly founded on the consumption of experiences. Understanding the ways in which tourists experience the places is, therefore, fundamental to the study of …

A Conceptual Model For Assessing The Level Of Development Of Pilgrimage Routes, Vitor Ambrósio, Carlos Fernandes, Goretti Silva, Adília Cabral

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This paper proposes an innovative conceptual model based on a hierarchical structure for the assessment of pilgrimage routes, establishing and weighting the different associated elements. Based on a holistic approach, a Diagnostic Matrix was created which structures the surveying of predefined variables and enables the evaluation of pilgrimage routes. This tool allows an understanding of both, material and immaterial elements that comprise part of pilgrimage experiences, and of the respective routes as tourism products. Based on the case of the Portuguese Camino de Santiago, the proposed matrix enables the diagnosis of the entire route, as well as partial analysis, which …