Performing the “post-secular” in Santiago de Compostela

Current debates on and theorizations of (post)secularism lack sustained discussions of the role of pilgrimage tourism, spiritual journeys and sacred places. This article is a theoretically informed and empirically based study that explores contemporary pilgrimage tourism as an arena where ‘post-secular’ praxis and discourse fuse. It identifies the multiple ways in which the ‘post-secular’ is performed through pilgrimage tourism, viz. construction of identities, journeys of becoming and performativity as instances of mobile place making. Contemporary pilgrimage tourism to Santiago de Compostela is polyvalent. Pilgrimages cannot be read off as unambiguously religious, secular or post-secular. Pilgrimage tourism spaces are open-ended such that place identity and meaning are being continuously reworked.     

Pilgrimage and religious tourism in Islam

In recent years scholars have engaged with explorations that tried to account for the pilgrimage vs. tourism conundrum. Among the ideas that emerged was defining an integrative category under the heading of religious tourism. This paper makes the argument that from a purely religious perspective pilgrimage in Islam is nothing but the one mentioned in the Quran; namely the Hajj. Therefore, it is argued, that all other religious Muslim motivated journeys constitute a different category which may be termed; religious tourism. By reframing and reconceptualizing Muslim pilgrimage which is ‘beyond the officially sacred’ as religious tourism the paper accounts for a plethora of religious voyages and the entire spectrum of Muslim religious voyages.     

Religious heritage and emerging tourism in the Republic of Georgia

This brief research note describes the current situation regarding religiously based heritage tourism and pilgrimage in Georgia. Heritage in Georgia is almost synonymous with religious heritage. Few countries in the world possess such an intensity of built religious patrimony in a small territory as the foundations of their heritage tourism sector as Georgia does. Georgia is already an increasingly popular destination, but owing to its important religious history, the multitude of ancient churches and holy relics at home there, and the inseparable mix of religious and natural heritagescapes, the country has the potential to develop further in three areas of heritage tourism: domestic pilgrimage; international pilgrimage among Orthodox Christians from Eastern Europe and countries of the former USSR; and non-religious cultural tourists from all over the world.     

The Monasteries of Putuoshan,China: Sites of Secular or Religious Tourism?

The article reports an analysis derived from a sample of 640 respondents visiting the Buddhist site of Putuoshan that is sacred to the Bodhisattva of Compassion, Avalokitesvara. Drawing on literature and observation over a 12-month period, the article adopts a fourfold designation of visitors: Xiankes, Sushi, Sightseers, and Cultural/Heritage Visitors. Three scales are developed and exploratory factor analysis supports distinctions between the clusters with reference to motives, activities and beliefs, and the categorization is supported by logistic regression analysis. The findings are discussed in the context of destination management with reference to two considerations—namely: (a) sites of religious importance often possess secular as well as religious significance; and (b) the numbers of tourists appear to be growing, thereby raising concerns of future negative tourism impacts.     

Pilgrimage,material objects and spontaneous communitas

Based on an ethnographic study of Lourdes, we contribute to tourism discussion on religious pilgrimage and communitas. Taking a material perspective, we prioritise spontaneous over normative communitas, and materiality over intangibility. We adopt the lens of tangible communitas to unpack the role of material objects in extending communitas beyond the spatial confines of the pilgrimage site. We explore how spontaneous communitas manifests in the material objects brought home from and left behind at the pilgrimage site. This reveals the portability of communitas and how it can be de-coupled from liminality and experienced in normative structure. The paper's focus on religious materiality also offers a renewed understanding of the extra-discursive importance of religious kitsch materiality.     

世俗的朝圣:西藏旅游体验研究

西藏正成为越来越重要的旅游目的地,然而对西藏旅游体验具体的微观研究却相对缺乏。文章通过对西藏旅游者的深度访谈,来探讨他们的旅游体验。游客往往将西藏想象成一种神圣之地,西藏的旅游体验对于游客而言也具有神圣的意义,主要体现在游客对自然、宗教和藏族人的体验上。西藏纯净的自然可以净化游客的心灵,让他们联想到远离喧嚣的生活。西藏的寺庙和朝拜的信徒营造出一种虔诚而神圣的氛围,让游客内心备受震动。看到藏民的执着和虔诚,游客心中会产生一种满足感。而藏民淳朴的为人处世的方式更让游客感到一种自己社会所缺失了的真实。西藏的神圣不在于游客对其宗教的信仰上,而在于其社会文化意义,西藏提供了游客日常生活所缺失的自然与人文,满足了游客的精神需求。西藏的旅游体验与其说是宗教朝圣,毋宁说是一种世俗的朝圣。     

Designing and managing interpretive experiences at religious sites: Visitors' perceptions of Canterbury Cathedral

Tourism to religious sites is growing worldwide, yet our understanding of the motives, interests and needs of tourists at these sites is limited. Research in British cathedrals suggests that many regard religious sites as leisure or recreational attractions and correspondingly, seek interpretation of the secular as well as spiritual aspects. This study surveyed 233 tourists at Canterbury Cathedral in the UK and found that tourists felt it was important to provide directional signage, displays and exhibits, value for money, attendants and equal access at the site. Overall, respondents rated their experiences positively, but wanted more information on the cathedral's history, architecture and artwork, as well as stories regarding people connected with the site. Recommendations for improving interpretation at Canterbury Cathedral are presented, and implications for the design of interpretive experiences at this and other religious sites discussed.     

The salience of stakeholders in religious tourism: A case study of the Dajia Mazu pilgrimage

Previous studies have focused on the relationship between religious tourism and some of its stakeholders. However, tourism's success relies on the commitment of all stakeholders. Based on stakeholder theory, this study assesses the stakeholder salience of a mass folk religious pilgrimage, the Dajia Mazu pilgrimage in Taiwan, by using fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The results indicate that temples, pilgrims, and host communities are more important than tourists, environment, businesses, and governmental bodies. Among the 18 contributions of all stakeholders, pilgrims' engagement, organizing temple management, food and drink sharing, host communities' engagement, and supporting temples' assistance are the most important. Organizers and administrators therefore need to identify key stakeholders and prioritize their contributions in managing pilgrimages and religious tourism.     

朝圣与旅游:一种人类学透析

朝圣和旅游都是人类社会经济和文化发展到一定阶段的现象,是人类有异于日常生活的另一种“生活方式”。本文从人类学视角,透析了朝圣和旅游的关系。“朝圣”是一种宗教意义上的精神文化之旅,旅游是一种现代意义上的精神文化“朝圣”。现代旅游业的发展必须高度关注人类的精神需求与文化体验。     

Pilgrimage,consumption and rituals: Spiritual authenticity in a Shia Muslim pilgrimage

A critical dimension of pilgrimage is arguably pilgrims' experience, in particular the authenticity of their experience. The aim of the study is to understand how authenticity is evoked in a religious pilgrimage and the relationship between authenticity, rituals and consumption. The research contributes ethnographic insights from a lesser known, yet significant, Muslim pilgrimage called Ziyara-t-Arba'een. In so doing, pilgrimages are conceptualised as a quest for spiritual authenticity, a hybrid form of existential, ideological and objective authenticity. The findings section leads to a discussion of the ways in which spiritual authenticity is realised through rituals and the consumption of texts, material objects and space. The contribution of this paper is threefold: 1) it explores the different dimensions of authenticity in a pilgrimage experience; 2) it examines the role of material culture and ritual consumption in achieving forms of authenticity; and 3) it broadens the understanding of the pilgrimage as a context-bound and culturally specific phenomenon.     

Ramadan: The month of fasting for Muslims,and tourism studies — Mapping the unexplored connection

This study supplies the Islamic worldview to the tourism literature in order to expand the current denotations associated to key words such as ‘travel’, ‘traveler’ and ‘pilgrimage’. It explores the month of fasting for Muslims: Ramadan, and its association to pilgrimage. The findings of the study indicate that Ramadan being the month of interior pilgrimage offers a strong link to the deep rooted connection between pilgrimage and tourism studies and is a promising area of exploration in conjunction with the unmapped link of interior pilgrimage and tourism studies. The study unearths Ramadan seasonality and Ramadan events in the settings of United Arab Emirates where currently during the Ramadan seasonality the interior pilgrims are facilitated by community events that are largely organized by the relevant tourism authorities. The study proposes further areas of research with reference to: interior pilgrimage, Ramadan seasonality and community events.     

Those who come to pray and those who come to look: interactions between visitors and congregations

Religious tourism is a phenomenon that includes many different types of activities, from pilgrimages to visits to Notre Dame in Paris. While much of the literature relating to religious tourism concentrates on pilgrimage and those with religious intentions, little has been written of those who visit for other reasons and how these two groups interact. The aim of this paper is to explore the relationship between the congregations and visitors at two major religious sites which receive significant numbers of visitors for other than religious reasons. This paper considers the views of visitors to two cathedrals in Australia who were surveyed to find out the reason for their visit and their feelings to the religious aspects of the cathedral and the congregation. Members of the congregations were similarly asked about their position in relation to the visitors. Another issue that was canvassed with both groups was that of entrance fees being charged at the cathedrals. It was found that the congregations are happy for the visitors to attend the cathedrals and participate in worship but that many dislike being observed. Neither group reacted positively in relation to the imposition of entrance fees.     

EXPERIENCING FILM TOURISM: Authenticity & Fellowship

Authenticity, existential authenticity, sincerity, hyperreality and simulacra are overlapping concepts often used in accounting for the tourist experience. This study discusses these concepts in the context of a case study of Lord of the Rings film-induced tourism to New Zealand. Findings support an elaborated and extended version of authenticity that incorporates aspects of object and existential authenticity, sincerity of relationships and embodied experiences of place. These factors underpin tourists’ judgments and experiences of authenticity. Links are drawn between this analysis and the theoplacity framework for religious pilgrimage. It is concluded that value emanates not only from objects or sights but also from the moments of embodied interaction with place and others, which actively constitute those objects and sights.     

BUDDHISM AND TOURISM: PERCEPTIONS OF THE MONASTIC COMMUNITY AT PU-TUO-SHAN,CHINA

While there exists a considerable body of literature on pilgrimages and religious tourism, research on Buddhist pilgrimage sites remains scant. In particular, little has been published about how tourism is perceived by the monks and nuns living at the Buddhist sites that receive visitors. This article examines the Buddhist monks’ and nuns’ perceptions towards tourism at Pu-Tuo-Shan, one of the Four Sacred Mountains of China, that during the last decades has become the destination of increasing numbers of pilgrims and tourists. Interviews with monks and nuns reveal how they perceive the presence of visitors in their sacred land. The study also finds that the Buddhist worldview plays a significant role in shaping their attitudes.     

Exploring the dialectics of route-based tourism: the Camino de Santiago

In its specific concern with route-based itineraries, this paper examines the complex tensions and conflicts that ensue from the marketing of cultural artefacts as tourism commodities. The paper analyses the characteristics and trends of the contemporary utilization of the medieval pilgrimage routes to the Galician shrine of Santiago de Compostela and distinguishes between the differing tourist sub-markets and their contrasting motivations in consuming this heritage complex. This discussion is linked with an assessment of the more subtle modifications of religious meaning by tourism activity, which pose particular problems in formulating strategies to promote this form of cultural itinerary. In proposing a synthetic model that combines the conflicting motivations and demands of pilgrims and tourists, the paper points to the need for critical awareness among those whose brief and interest lie in sustaining the integrity of route-based cultural tourism.     

Exploring religious tourist experiences in Jerusalem: The intersection of Abrahamic religions

By considering the importance of religious tourism for travel and the tourism industry, this study aims to identify religious tourists' experiences in Jerusalem, as one of the most important holy cities. By a survey, 848 data were collected from the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim religious tourists. Results showed that religious tourism experience was a multi-faceted construct, which consists of engaging mentally, discovering new things, interacting & belonging, connecting spiritually & emotionally, and relaxing & finding peace dimensions. By using these dimensions, perceived experience differences of tourists were examined depending on religion. Moreover, religious tourism experience was identified to significantly affect overall tourist satisfaction with Jerusalem. The study concluded with discussion of the findings and their implications.     

跋涉千山万水 笔载异域风情——宗教旅行家慧超

该文介绍了慧超作为一个伟大的宗教旅行家的生平和记行著作《往五天竺国传》,梳理出慧超的西行旅程,简要评价了慧超及其专著在史学和旅游等方面的主要贡献及意义。     

What drives pilgrims' experiential supportive intentions and desires towards religious destinations?

This study examines the role of pilgrim's experiential risk, experiential motivation, and experiential loyalty towards the experiential relationship quality, supportive intentions, and desires at religious destinations. For Study 1, data were collected from 374 pilgrims (Sikh community) who visited Pakistan during their religious event (Vaisakhi). For Study 2, data were collected from 381 pilgrims (Malaysian Chinese) who visited Chinese temples in Kedah, Malaysia. PLS-SEM is employed to analyze the data. The findings revealed that experiential risk, motivation, and loyalty significantly impact experiential relationship quality, experiential supportive intentions, and experiential desire. Moreover, experiential relationship quality also plays a pivotal role in increasing the pilgrims` experiential supportive intentions and desires to visit the pilgrimage destination. This study contributes to the existing literature and will be helpful for the tourism authorities to reduce the consumer's experiential risk and enhance their loyalty and intention towards the holy destinations.