Journal of Tourism Consumption and Practice – Volume 5 – 2013https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/handle/10026.1/115912024-03-28T07:12:02Z2024-03-28T07:12:02ZVisitors to Religious Sites in South Western Nigeria – Their Experience of the Physical InfrastructureBenson, E. I.https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/handle/10026.1/117222019-05-22T15:09:24Z2013-01-01T00:00:00ZVisitors to Religious Sites in South Western Nigeria – Their Experience of the Physical Infrastructure
Benson, E. I.
This paper assesses the tourism experience and activities of visitors to religious sites in South Western Nigeria, in order to develop an effective and efficient strategy for the development of religious tourism. Religious tourism is a form of tourism whereby people of faith travel individually or in groups for pilgrimage, missionary, fellowship or leisure purposes. There is a paucity of research on the religious tourism segment in Nigeria. Existing tourism studies focus on ecological, cultural, heritage and historical sites. The paper was born out of my desire for exploratory research on religious tourism in developing countries. Data for this research were derived from primary and secondary sources. Fifteen religious sites were identified which are linked to the three official religions in the study area. Six religious sites were selected from the fifteen using a stratified sampling method. Six hundred questionnaires were administered to visitors at the six religious sites using systematic sampling of every tenth patron at the entrances to the sites. Data were analysed with descriptive and inferential statistical methods. The results show that the tourism experience of the visitors was influenced by socio-economic factors like residential location of the visitors, frequency of visit to the sites, duration of visit, accessibility and other factors. These were analysed using SPSS and the top influencing factor of visitors’ experience is spiritual refreshing (seeking for peace) which constitutes 42.3%, of those surveyed while sight-seeing is represented by 37.5%. Other experiences are healing (10.3%) and other spiritual issues (4.3%). The study concludes that visitors’ tourism experience is an important factor in the development of religious sites in the study area.
2013-01-01T00:00:00ZLinking the Pilgrimage Experience to Best Practice: The lessons of the RECULTIVATUR projectClarke, A.Raffay, A.https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/handle/10026.1/117212019-05-22T15:09:24Z2013-01-01T00:00:00ZLinking the Pilgrimage Experience to Best Practice: The lessons of the RECULTIVATUR project
Clarke, A.; Raffay, A.
This paper will focus on the early findings of the RECULTIVATUR project, a SEE funded partnership which is exploring the inclusion of religious-related cultural values in the planning and development processes of urban centres, systems of settlements and surrounding rural areas. The 15 partners have contributed 35 case studies based on the religious tourism in their areas and the University of Pannonia have been responsible for collating and conducting the initial analysis of these cases.
Here we will focus on pilgrimage and the linkages which have emerged from these examples regarding other cultural and heritage tourism experiences. Our analysis of the cases reveals several examples of good practice in grounding pilgrimage not only in purely religious value systems but within the broader cultural and heritage tourism systems.
The purpose of this paper will be to elaborate an analytical framework for the further investigation of other religious tourism offers, both within and without the current project, which will help to optimise the value of the developments of religious tourism not only in religious communities but also in tourism communities and host communities in a non-conflictual way. The best practices that have been identified highlight the benefits of including a wide variety of stakeholders in a holistic way, recognising not only the legitimacy of religious values but also the contribution of economic and wider social values.
2013-01-01T00:00:00ZHistorical-Theological Models of Pilgrimage as a resource for Faith TourismWooding, J. M.https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/handle/10026.1/117202019-05-22T15:09:24Z2013-01-01T00:00:00ZHistorical-Theological Models of Pilgrimage as a resource for Faith Tourism
Wooding, J. M.
Pilgrimage is often seen as a physical journey to a sacred destination fixed by custom, destination-centred and broadly penitential in tone. The work of anthropologists in the last century broadened definitions to consider pilgrimage, across a range of faiths, in terms of a journey of transition and formation of identity. More recent historical scholarship has critiqued the longer development of our idea of pilgrimage, as well as its theological structures and markers. This diachronic approach to pilgrimage has also considered its origins with respect to early Christian conceptions of the life of the Christian in society and found resonances for patterns of lay pilgrimage in early monastic ideas. Such historical-theological dimension of research into pilgrimage provides a useful platform from which we can interrogate the idea of ‘faith tourism’ or ‘pilgrimage tourism’. Many people of faith visit particular churches and holy sites to invoke their historic dimensions as well as to see what is presently on such sites. Visitors seek to re-enact historical narratives in the performance of certain pilgrimages and liturgies associated with them. Historical studies of theology thus may identify narratives that drive choices of action in pilgrimage. An historical reflection on pilgrimage may also be productive in widening definitions of pilgrimage for future development and may offer ideas for development of resources for the traveller.
2013-01-01T00:00:00ZExperiences of Pilgrimage in Lithuania: Expressions of Values and Identity at New DestinationsLiutikas, D.https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/handle/10026.1/117192019-05-22T15:09:24Z2013-01-01T00:00:00ZExperiences of Pilgrimage in Lithuania: Expressions of Values and Identity at New Destinations
Liutikas, D.
This article looks at destination places and the extent of religious and secular pilgrimages in Lithuanian society. Destination image of a particular place is unique, as it is constructed from travellers own values, identity, memories, associations and imaginations of the place. The focus is on the phenomenology of destination image and expression of values and identity during valuistic journeys (pilgrimage). Values can embody religious, national, cultural or other collective ideals, or they may be unique to the individual. The article discusses destination places in Lithuania and investigates the main groups of geographical destinations that give meaning to the identity of Lithuanian pilgrims and are visited by them.
2013-01-01T00:00:00Z