Conceptualizing the Changing Faces of Pilgrimage Through Contemporary Tourism

Polus, Reni; Carr, Neil; Walters, Trudie

Abstract

This paper aims to conceptualize the pilgrimage and tourism relationship in the contemporary world. As the boundaries between pilgrimage and tourism have become blurred, there is a need to find a more holistic way to understand the nuances of the pilgrimage-tourism relationship. This conceptual paper argues that pilgrimage offers a stage for rejuvenation in the contemporary era. In the 21st Century, the concept of pilgrimage travel has re-emerged in tourism with a new identity that goes beyond the idea of pilgrimage as a journey to a sacred place. Building on this recognition, this paper provides a conceptual framework that emphasizes the linkages between pilgrimage and contemporary tourism using three core elements: meaning, ritual, and transformation. This framework allows broader interpretations of pilgrimage travel in different phenomena of tourism in the contemporary era.

Citation

Polus, R., Carr, N., & Walters, T. (2022). Conceptualizing the Changing Faces of Pilgrimage Through Contemporary Tourism. International Journal of the Sociology of Leisure, 5(3), 321-335. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41978-022-00109-7

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 5, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Jun 4, 2022
• Publication Date: 2022-09
• Deposit Date: Apr 25, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 25, 2024
• Journal: International Journal of the Sociology of Leisure
• Print ISSN: 2520-8683
• Electronic ISSN: 2520-8691
• Publisher: Springer
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 5
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 321-335
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41978-022-00109-7
• Keywords: Pilgrimage, Spiritual journey, Ritual, Spirituality, Secular tourists, Contemporary tourism
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/3529448