Tourism, Pilgrimage and Intercultural Dialogue

Interpreting Sacred Stories

Edited by Dolors Vidal-Casellas, Silvia Aulet and Neus Crous-Costa

Hardback

August 2019

9781789241129

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$148.25

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Religious heritage and sacred sites offer an opportunity to visitors to explore the knowledge of the community visited, however the importance of interpretation, meaning, experience, and narrative need to be considered.

This book is a timely re-assessment of the increasing linkages and interconnections between management of diversity and religious tourism and secular spaces on a global stage. It explores key learning points from a range of contemporary case studies of religious and pilgrimage activity, related both to ancient, sacred and emerging tourist destinations and to new forms of pilgrimage, faith systems and quasi-religious activities.

By providing a conceptual framework the book demonstrates the symbolism of sacred spaces within religious traditions and the relations developed among them. It offers explanations on how to manage and how to communicate the religious diversity and provides a solid overview of:

Religious tourism as a tool for intercultural dialogue
Interpretation of religious heritage for tourism
Cross-cultural contacts

The book will provide a valuable resource for those researching and practicing in tourism management, pilgrimage and religious tourism.

1: Introduction
Part 1: Conceptual Approaches
2: The Semantics of the Sacred: A tool for interreligious dialogue
3: The symbolism of sacred space
4: Symbolism of the built temple
5: Images as embodiment of the sacred
6: Reading artworks through the Bible
7: "Revalorization of Europe’s Natural Areas of Spiritual Value and Pilgrimage Routes: Inspirational tendencies"
Part 2: Strategies and Tools for Management
8: Interpretation tools for religious heritage
9: Religious Tourism, Pilgrimage: Manifestation of peace and enlightenment in contemporary religions with special reference to Islam
10: Does a religious tourist need a guide? Interpretation and storytelling in sacred places
11: Pilgrimage Tourism & Social Media: A way forward in the 21st century?
Part 3: Case Studies
12: "Transformation of Cultural Identity, Tourism and Intercultural dialog: Medieval World Heritage Sites in Serbia between Cultural monuments and Shrines"
13: Llull, a traveller in the service of the faith
14: Taking part in the pilgrimage by hosting pilgrims
15: The Diachrony of Landscapes: A Way of Sightseeing
16: "Future for Religious Heritage and the Benefits of European Cooperation"
17: Updating a Romantic view? Ruskin's Mornings in Florence

Dolors Vidal-Casellas

Dolors Vidal-Casellas, PhD, is Dean and a senior lecturer at the Tourism Faculty of the University of Girona. She is Founder of the Official Master in Cultural Tourism, a member of the Contemporary Culture and Art Chair and also member of the research groups "Contemporary Art Theories" and "Higher Institute of Tourism Studies" (INSETUR). She is director of the collection "Turisme cultural" (cultural tourism) by Edicions Vitel·la. She joined different cooperation programs with universities from Algeria, Sao Paolo, Piracicaba (Brazil) and San Martin de Porres (Peru). She is also a member of cultural tourism international networks: Ibertur, Atlas and Unitwin "Culture, tourisme et developpement" (UNESCO). Her research interests include cultural tourism, religious tourism, history of tourism, heritage management, destination imagery and tourism planning and policies.

Silvia Aulet

Silvia Aulet is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Tourism, University of Girona, Spain.

Neus Crous-Costa

Neus Crous-Costa is an assistant professor and junior researcher at the Faculty of Tourism (University of Girona) and Tourism Officer at the Museu d'Art de Girona (Girona province art museum). She graduated in tourism studies and holds a Masters degree in tourism planning and management (cultural tourism program). She is involved in several research projects about cooperation, history of tourism, religious tourism products and destination imagery.

Chapter 1