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Examining The Pilgrims’ Experience: Communitas Along The Camino De Santiago, Snežana Brumec

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

To what extent does the community formed among pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago correspond to Turner’s concept of communitas? How might pilgrimage with significant others differ from individual pilgrimages in the sense of community? This study attempts to answer these questions based on qualitative and quantitative content analysis of 32 travelogues written by pilgrims who completed the pilgrimage alone or with relatives or friends. The findings show that pilgrims develop an egalitarian and creative community that prevails the notion of a generic bond between people, an intense comradeship and generous common friendliness. In such a community, pilgrims’ behaviour is …

The Family Pilgrimage To Santiago, Adeline Rucquoi

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The presence of women on the roads to Santiago since the beginning of the pilgrimage is becoming better known. The texts show that family pilgrimages, of children with their parents, of sons with their fathers or of daughters with their mothers, are not just a contemporary phenomenon.

Family Pilgrimage Along The Camino De Santiago In Poland: Forms, Conditions And Prospects For Development, Franciszek Mróz, Sławomir Tykarski, Marcin Gazda

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This study presents an analysis of the forms of family pilgrimage along the Polish sections of the Way of St. James. The purpose of the research is to understand the current status of family pilgrimage along the route to Santiago de Compostela in Poland, as well as to specify the determinants of the development of this type of pilgrimage. The forms of family pilgrimage along the Way of St. James in Poland and the importance of such pilgrimages in deepening intra-family relations are presented based on interviews and testimonies collected, as well as on several years of experience in organising …

Family Pilgrimage: An Introduction, Kathleen E. Jenkins, Piotr Roszak

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

No abstract provided.

Mapping Pilgrims’ Experience Of Walking The Saint James Way Through The Lens Of Self-Regulation, Clara Vieira, Jennifer Cunha, Ana Rita Nunes, Luísa Mota Ribeiro, Pedro Rosário

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The Way of St. James is a very well-known and ancient pilgrimage, with various routes leading pilgrims to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain, where the remains of Saint James are buried. Over the last few years, the experience of the pilgrimage and the growing number of pilgrims walking the Saint James Way have been attracting researchers’ attention. However, studies attempting to understand the pilgrims’ experience using a self-regulation lens are limited. Self-regulation may be defined as efforts made to manage individuals’ thoughts, emotions, and behaviours in the pursuit of long-term goals. Therefore, rooted in the self-regulation framework, …

Voluntourism On The Camino De Santiago – How Iteration Changes Motives, Stakeholder Interaction, And Reintegration Of Hospitaleros, Andreas Braun

Journal of Global Hospitality and Tourism

Hospitaleros who volunteer in the hostels along the Camino de Santiago have, to the best of our knowledge, not yet been examined, from the perspectives of voluntourism and pilgrimage research. This article aims to give an insight into a unique form of volunteering based on 32 interviews with hostel wardens conducted between 2017 and 2021. The results indicate that – while hospitaleros primarily indicate interpersonal motives for their service – the voluntary work serves as a kind of “substitute drug” to satisfy the longing for and dependence on the Camino. With increasing iterations, (1) the strength of the personal motives …

The Epic Pilgrimage: The Way Of The Ascetics Of El Capitan, John Shultz

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

El Capitan and its related environs constitute the ‘holiest of holies,’ the ‘center of the universe,’ or the ‘mecca’ of the rock climbing world. Big walls are simply the tallest, steepest, and most challenging rockfaces on the planet. For the tribe of big wall climbers, El Capitan, which stands nearly 1000 meters above the Merced River in Yosemite National Park in California, has a mystique and allure unmatched by any other location. In previous work, I establish the concept of climbing on El Capitan as ‘vertical pilgrimage’ (Shultz, 2020), and in this paper, I focus specifically on climbing efforts as …

A Changed Understanding Of Miracles In Religious Tourism, Stephen F. Haller

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

In this modern age, an unsceptical acceptance of supernatural events–those which cannot be explained as part of the natural order of things–is less common than it once was. This trend is reflected in the declining frequency of miracle-cures certified by the Medical Bureau at Lourdes. Yet miracles past, and the promise of possible miracles in the present, still attract multitudes of religious pilgrims and tourists to sacred sites all over the world. While the frequency of miracles goes down, the appeal of miracles goes on, and the number of religious visitors has not declined. What role do miracles now play …

From Palma To Lluc – The Social And Organisational Life Of A Nocturnal Pilgrimage In Mallorca, Maja Balle

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Although the island of Mallorca is well known for its beaches and mass tourism sector, a local pilgrimage tradition with deep roots in Catholicism is still thriving on the island; on the first weekend in August, thousands of people gather to make a nocturnal pilgrimage to a shrine at Lluc Mountain. Rather than focusing on the actual performance of the sacred journey or the culmination of its ritualised accomplishment, this case study explores the social and economic framing of the event orchestrated by actors from the local community, the church, the governmental sector, and other private and public stakeholders. The …

The Pilgrimage To The Grand Magal In Ṭūbā, Senegal, Tahar Abbou

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The Grand Magal in Ṭūbā, in Senegal is the third biggest religious event in the Muslim community after the pilgrimage to the mausoleum of Imam al-Hussayn in Karbala, Iraq and the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. This paper deals with the pilgrimage to Ṭūbā that celebrates the life and teachings of Shaykh Amadou Bamba, the founder of the Sufi Murīdiyya Brotherhood. The event takes place on the 18th of Safar, the second month in the Islamic lunar calendar. Murīds (novices committed to spiritual enlightenment), pilgrims, and visitors from over the world descend onto the city of Ṭūbā to visit the …

Editorial: Pilgrimage As A Multi-Faceted Diamond, Ian S. Mcintosh, Dane Munro Km, Chadwick Co Sy Su

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

No abstract provided.

Review Of: Contemporary Christian Travel, Pilgrimage, Practice And Place By Amos S. Ron And Dallen J. Timothy, Stefania Cerutti

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Book Review of Contemporary Christian Travel, Pilgrimage, Practice and Place, by Amos S. Ron and Dallen J. Timothy.

Review Of: Imaging Pilgrimage: Art As Embodied Experience By Kathryn R. Barush, Ian D. Rotherham

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Book Review of Imaging Pilgrimage: Art as Embodied Experience by Kathryn R. Barush

Salvation In A Palace: Luxurious Representation Of Political Spirituality In Iran, Zahra Khoshk Jan

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The present study tries to answer this question: Why is the mausoleum of Imam Reza (a holy saint shrine) one of the most luxurious and expensive buildings in the world? By staying in Mashhad as a pilgrim, the researcher conducted 45 participatory and semi-structured interviews with pilgrims in two consecutive stages. For analysing the collected data, a qualitative research method was used based on Constructing Grounded Theory. The concept of ‘the politics of constructing spirituality’ as the core category referred to the fact that the main reasons for the luxury and magnificence of Imam Reza’s mausoleum in Iran, are as …

Redefining The Dimensions Of Spirituality And Pilgrimage In Religious Tourism: Iranian Pilgrimage Cities, Asghar Molaei

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage is one of the ways to acquire spirituality in the Shiite sect, and the shrines of the Imams are places of pilgrimage full of spirituality. Spirituality in Islam is one of the mental states of human beings, which has a high position in perfection from Shiite thought. Pilgrimage, as an Islamic custom and ethical practice, through the pattern of pilgrimage in religious, devotional, and prayer spaces can create spirituality for pilgrims. In line with the principles of praying and celebrating the rituals of God, the holy shrines of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS) are important centres of interest in Iranian …

Pilgrimage Sites As Magnets Of Interfaith Tolerance: The Case Of Kemaliq Lingsar In Indonesia, Suhadah Suhadah, Deddy Mulyana, Pawit M. Yusup, Nuryah A. Sjafirah

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This study aims to reveal the practices of tolerance between the adherents of Islam and Hinduism when they were engaged in worship at Kemaliq Lingsar, a sacred religious site which is used as a pilgrimage site where both parties pray and perform religious tourism and rituals. Drawing on the interpretive approach, this study found the wisdom of the two religious communities in Lingsar Village, West Lombok Regency, Indonesia. This area exhibits unique strategies for sharing the same pilgrimage site: two communities performing their respective rituals in turn and in unison in the same space with complete understanding. This tolerance practiced …

Review Of: Dark Tourism And Pilgrimage, Dino Bozonelos

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

No abstract provided.

Cultural Tourism, Religion And Religious Heritage In Castile And León, Spain, Miguel González-González, Óscar Fernández-Álvarez

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Tourism is a driving force of the economy for many countries around the world. The large number of architectural and intangible World Heritage Sites have consolidated those countries in their strong positions as cultural tourism destinations. Within cultural tourism, religious tourism is particularly prominent. This work focuses on Spain and specifically on some of its regions which lack beaches but possess a wealth of religious cultural heritage, such as Castile and León, which have viewed such heritage as an asset to attract a different kind of tourist. The objectives of this study are to highlight the value of religious heritage …

Ijrtp Volume 10(Ii) Table Of Contents, Kevin A. Griffin, Razaq Raj, Carlos Fernandes

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

No abstract provided.

Pilgrimage During Covid-19: Impacts, Adaptations, And Recovery, Anne E. Bailey Dr

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Towards the end of 2020, this journal published an issue devoted to the impact of COVID-19. The novel coronavirus was having a devastating effect not only on public health but also on the global religious tourism industry. Places of worship closed, pilgrimage events and activities were cancelled, and travel restrictions limited mobility. A viable vaccination was predicted to be eighteen months away. One contributor even asked, ‘Is this the end of pilgrimage?’

This article re-examines and re-evaluates the impact of COVID-19, taking up some of the themes introduced in the 2020 issue. Focusing on western pilgrimage, with evidence from online …

Signature Events: The Role Of Representative Major Events For The Branding Of Catholic Pilgrimage Sites (Germany), Markus Hilpert

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

A new trend in destination marketing has been emerging for several years. Instead of many small events, locations rely on one brand-strengthening Signature Event that draws attention to the destination through its uniqueness. Because pilgrimage is arguably the oldest form of mass tourism, places of pilgrimage may have invented such Signature Events to attract devout travellers. If so, signature events at pilgrimage sites are valuable research objects for investigating their success factors. Not only are they the prototypes in which the DNA of Signature Events can be studied, but in many cases, they also had centuries to optimise their experience. …

A Case Study Of Pilgrimage As Experiential Learning: Reflections Of A Buddhist Pilgrim, Yen Ping Ki

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This paper narrates my learnings as a pilgrim in India and Nepal based on an analysis of my response to different experiences and observations throughout the journey. The significant impacts of this experience on life were reflected using Kolb’s cycle of experiential learning. The learning process is described based on the four processes of the model: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualisation, and active experimentation. It is believed that pilgrims are motivated to satisfy their needs as indicated in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. This article also acknowledges some established key ideas from other pilgrimage scholars. However, this paper presents only …

Hospitality On The Camino De Santiago: Clues From Interviews With Hospitaleros During The Pandemic, Berenika Seryczynska, Piotr Roszak, Tomasz Duda

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The practice of making the pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago (the Way of Saint James), one of the three most important medieval pilgrimage routes in Europe, has undergone various transformations related to religious, cultural and political considerations. In 2019, the Pilgrim’s Reception Office in Santiago de Compostela recorded 327,378 pilgrims from all over the world. The aim of this research was to understand the impact of the pandemic on hospitaleros – the individuals who host pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago – and perform a comparative analysis against the hotel industry. In particular, it was noted that in a …

Pilgering Researchers Or Researching Pilgrims: Experiences From Four Student Projects On The Camino De Santiago 2016-2019, Andreas Braun

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Between 2016 and 2019, I accompanied four student groups on the Camino de Santiago - however the planned 2020 project was cancelled due to the coronavirus epidemic. In this article, I describe the project, its planning, its implementation, and its conclusion, as well as some experiences and impressions of the participating students on the basis of an ethnographical approach. The projects presented have two objectives: on the one hand, to teach the students qualitative and quantitative research methods in a delimited, protected environment, and on the other hand, to introduce the students to the fascination of pilgrimage and the Camino …

The Camino De Santiago In Late Modernity: Examining Transformative Aftereffects Of The Pilgrimage Experience, Snežana Brumec

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Based on a content analysis of 32 pilgrim travelogues it was assumed that certain values resulting from the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage would tend to be persistent, and these rather meaningful and memorable experiences may result in changes to a pilgrim’s personal hierarchy of values. To explore these assumed transformative aftereffects an online survey (n = 500) was carried out to examine self-reported value changes using the Short Schwartz’s Value Survey. The greatest increase post pilgrimage showed the importance of values that emphasise concern for the welfare and interests of others (universalism, benevolence). The only and quite substantial decreases we …

A New Look At The Arba’Een Mega-Event From The Perspective Of Iraqis As The Host Community, Ali Asghar Shalbafian, Neda Zarandian

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The present study explores the impacts of the Arba’een event from the perspective of the inhabitants in the host community, Iraq, as the key stakeholders. Arba’een procession is one of the forms of pilgrimage that has expanded significantly in recent years and has a special place among Muslims. Due to the huge number of pilgrims, this phenomenon can be considered as a mega-event with different effects. One of the best judges of these effects is the host community. To evaluate the judgements, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 Iraqis selected via convenience snowball sampling. The data collected from the interview …

The Role Of Communication Technologies In Restructuring Pilgrimage Journeys, Reni Polus, Neil Carr

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage has evolved alongside the evolution of communication technology. Emergent communication technology is changing how people present themselves and tell others about their experiences, including within the context of pilgrimages. Building upon this recognition, this paper examines how evolving communication technologies have changed pilgrimage using Victor Turner’s concepts of rite of passage and communitas. This conceptual paper recognises that technologies, such as the internet, mobile phones and social media, all influence the three stages of the pilgrimage ritual process: separation, liminality, and reintegration. This paper provides a conceptual clarification of the differences between how the medieval and the 21st Century …

Bus Line 163: A Public Pilgrim Bus To Rachel’S Tomb In Jerusalem, Mustafa Diktaş

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Buses are networks for both physical and social mobility. They permit people to become part of temporary communities of individuals whose goal is to travel along linear routes, which connect multiple stops and reach certain destinations. Through an ethnographic case study of Bus No. 163, which is designated for Jewish pilgrims traveling to Rachel’s tomb in Jerusalem, this paper focuses on the interactions between travelers that took place on this bus during December 2019 and February 2020. The interactions of people on Bus No 163 helps us better understand this liminal phase of pilgrimage. The findings of the research, as …

Museums And Shrines: Reflecting On Relationships And Challenges, Lorenzo Bagnoli, Rita Capurro

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The aim of this paper is to introduce a method for analysing a specific kind of contemporary tourism positioned between two different traditional customs: visiting museums and going to pilgrimage sites. The case studies provided are focused on Italian shrine museums where it is difficult to ascertain whether visitors are cultural tourists or pilgrims or a combination of both. Regardless, the tourist flows and networks created by Italian shrine museums can provide promising elements for local development. Four case studies that are representative of different regions in Northern Italy and have specific features in common have been chosen: shrines dedicated …

Using Dialectic Thematic Analysis In Dark Tourism: Combining Deductive And Inductive Reasoning In A Modular Method, Martin Maccarthy

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This study combines the results of two antithetical research processes: induction and deduction. Using a prescribed dialectic method commemorative pilgrimage at two non-substitutable sites is explored. A metamodel, comprising an amalgam of published commemorative models and ideas is first constructed and used as the project's interpretive frame. Parsing the metamodel produces 17 constructs: four of which are motives (inputs) and 11 of which are typified behaviours (outputs). The combined data from two Australian memorials; one in Western Australia and one in France is then analysed using the metamodel as representative of existing theory. The constructs are then deduced whilst simultaneously …