How Long Does the Pilgrimage Tourism Experience to Santiago de Compostela Last?

Tourism and pilgrimage are different social phenomena (Cohen, 1992; Collins-Kreiner, 2010a); tourism is more secular than pilgrimage, which is mainly a sacred journey (Barber, 2001). In spite of this, both indicate a ‘movement’; so that tourists and pilgrims are ‘foreigners, travellers and strangers’ (Smith, 1992) who look for authentic experiences (Collins-Kreiner, 2010a). The question: ‘What kind of Experience Pilgrimage is?’ has many answers. From a social point of view, pilgrims are free from social obligations; they share the same destination and the same social status. Because of this, the anthropologists Turner and Turner (1978) defined pilgrimage as an anti-structural experience that subverts the established order of things. Furthermore, pilgrimages are both liminal and inclusive experiences, as the sense of communitas (Turner and Turner, 1978) facilitates social relations and produces social safety (Bauman, 2001). Finally, the emotional dimension of pilgrimage experiences changes according to behavioural patterns. Based on these assumptions, pilgrimages are unique experiences. Because of contemporary transformations and the increasing use of the term ‘pilgrimage’ in secular contexts (Collins-Kreiner, 2010a), the geography of pilgrimages must investigate how pilgrimage experiences change. This contribution analyses pilgrimage experiences according to a key aspect: human cognition; for this reason, the essay presents a phenomenological methodological approach (Lopez, 2013). The chief sources are records of pilgrims who went to one of the most representative sites for Christian religion: Santiago de Compostela. The examination regards the above-mentioned dimensions and the way in which pilgrims ‘live the space’. It aims to reveal that the ‘essence’ of pilgrimage tourism experiences does not disappear when the pilgrim returns to his or her everyday life. As a matter of fact, his or her everyday life is marked by the pilgrimage experience and, thus, by a different worldview (Frey, 1997, 1998; Coleman, 2004)

Filmic Gendered Discourses in Rural Contexts: The Case of the Camino de Santiago (Spain)

Rural areas have turned into multifunctional areas. They satisfy different economic and social requirements; among these, they are consolidating their position as film production locations. Becoming a film location ensures visibility and provides new forms to access sustainable economic trajectories to promoting rural areas and rural vitality. In some cases, filmic discourses present unequal gender treatment that may be associated with their locations. Considering this, the aim of this research was to explore cinematic discourses based on the symmetry or asymmetry in gendered cinematic representations that mainly occur in the rural space of the Camino de Santiago (Spain). This First European Cultural route crosses urban and rural centers that have benefited in different ways from its international recognition. By combining both the linguistic and visual codes, I engaged in a qualitative film discourse analysis concerning female pilgrims along the route. Despite of the feminization of the Camino, the results prove the permanence of gendered norms and societal roles in audio-visual productions based on a common latent ideology. The conclusions introduce the concept of social and relational sustainability as a way to achieve equal gender treatment when creating media discoursesS

Representing and Performing Pilgrimage in a Comic Book: On the Camino

Over the last few decades, comic books and graphic novels have become valid literary sources within the humanities and social sciences. This paper addresses a new creative and performative artistic expression of the European pilgrimage route the Camino de Santiago in Spain through examining the autobiographical graphic novel On the Camino, written by the Norwegian cartoonist Jason (2017), which introduces a new way of sharing pilgrimage experiences through combining pictorial and literary devices. Here, the focus is on the dynamic paradigm that arises beyond the ‘fixed sequential images’ in the graphic novel and the role of readers in the spatial meaning-making-process. This creative mode of production regarding pilgrimage along the Camino, suggests that comic books and graphic novels can be a valid source of understanding and portraying pilgrimage experiences

Nuevas fórmulas para un desarrollo local sustentable. Los Ecomuseos en Apulia (Italia)

Con la Ley Regional del 6 de Julio 2011, el Consejo Regional de la Pulla (Italia) fija la institución de los ecomuseos en la misma región. Tal como se recoge, los objetivos son promover y regular los ecomuseos para recuperar y mejorar la memoria histórica, la vida, la cultura tangible e intangible, las relaciones entre el medio ambiente, las tradiciones naturales y artificiales, las actividades y las tradiciones del paisaje y de la región. Se analizan los ecomuseos de la región costera italiana (contenidos de los proyectos, actores, objetivos, actuaciones y herramientas). Se investiga de qué manera están contribuyendo a la promoción del patrimonio cultural y de la dimensión local y social. Se procede reconstruyendo su metodología de trabajo y se avanza un balance de las herramientas y de las modalidades de conocimiento y valorización del patrimonio en relación al desarrollo local y sustentable

La imagen de Santiago de Compostela y del Camino en Italia. Una aproximación desde la geografía cultural

Desde principios del siglo IX hasta los años ochenta del siglo XX, las imágenes de Santiago de Compostela y del Camino han significado sobre todo religión y peregrinación. Las peregrinaciones fueron primeras formas de desplazamiento del ser humano, luego los viajes sagrados y finalmente algunas de las metas se han convertido en destinos turísticos. En esta tesis se investiga el nivel de difusión del culto jacobeo en Italia y las imágenes que se le atribuye. A pesar del título, no se trata de una investigación estrechamente relacionada con la Geografía de la Percepción, sino que la misma sirve para una investigación centrada en la Geografía de la Peregrinación y del Espacio Sagrado. Se acude a metodologías distintas en función de la época histórica y las fuentes de la misma, lo que ha lleva a una diferente manera de aproximarse a los fenómenos. En la investigación se remarca la importancia de conceptos como Sagrado, Religión, Poder, sin olvidar las palabras claves: Espacio e Imagen. Se relacionan todos ellos para aplicarlos a diferentes ámbitos de investigación (paisaje, literatura o turismo, etc.) y poner de manifiesto el carácter multifacético de una cultura religiosa. De este modo, a partir de la Geografía de las Peregrinaciones se acude a la Geografía Cultural adoptando la perspectiva de la Geografía del Poder, de la Geografía del Patrimonio y de la Geografía del Turismo. La imagen resulta de la acción de distintos actores que han actuado distintamente en el tiempo. Primero la Iglesia y los peregrinos en la Edad Media, luego peregrinos y viajeros en época moderna y finalmente visitantes, peregrinos e instituciones en la época contemporánea

Who Is Interested in Developing the Way of Saint James? The Pilgrimage from Faith to Tourism

The Way of St. James in Spain is the main European pilgrimage route. Currently, it is a cultural, tourist, monumental, spiritual, and sports route. For this reason, the paper aims to discuss the concept of the “Polysemy of The Way”, by analysing how the new pilgrims’ motivations are creating an inclusive and complex space, which is making a shift from religious space to a multifaceted tourism reality. We study the characterisation and interaction of the new actors involved in its development, maintenance and promotion. As a result, its original “space of faith” is now a “live heritage space”, thanks to the rehabilitation of routes, monuments, and landscapes. The combination of these motivational and spatial transformations enhances the factors of post-secular pilgrimage, such as slow mobility, the liminality and the sense of community, which the same actors assume as priorities for territorial management.S

Film-Induced Tourism in the Way of Saint James

This research paper proposes an analytical approach to the study of the phenomenon of the film-induced pilgrimage tourism, along one of the most historical and relevant European cultural route: the Way of St. James or Camino de Santiago.In the present study, and in order to point out the relation between film broadcast and film-induced tourism, we combine the review of the Jacobean cinema with the statistical analysis of the pilgrims arrived to Santiago de Compostela during the last decade. So, our main aim is to analyse the repercussion of the Jacobean Cinema in the attractiveness of the Way of St. James as tourism destination. We take into consideration the role of the film producers and we also ponder on the marketing policies of the Autonomous Community, which are aimed at promoting the pilgrim’s routes, the Cathedral and the city of Santiago de Compostela. The cinema has played a less important role until now, in comparison with the impact of travel guides and the Jacobean literature, but it is increasing its impact in the international tourism markets. Recently, the American film The Way can be considered to be the first promoter of the film-induced tourism, because the arrivals of pilgrims from USA have been increased after the broadcast of this film since 2010. Il contributo propone un approccio analitico allo studio del fenomeno del film-induced pilgrimage tourism lungo uno dei più storici e rilevanti itinerari culturali europei: il Cammino di San Giacomo di Compostella.Lo studio combina una revisione del cinema giacobeo con le statistiche relative ai pellegrini giunti a San Giacomo di Compostella nell’ultimo decennio. Tale esercizio persegue come obiettivo analizzare le ripercussioni del cinema giacobeo come fattore d’attrazione del Cammino di San Giacomo in qualità di meta turistica. Prendendo in considerazione il ruolo dei produttori, si propone una riflessione sulle azioni e politiche di marketing adottate dalla Comunità Autonoma della Regione Galizia finalizzate alla promozione del Cammino di pellegrinaggio, la Cattedrale e la città di San Giacomo di Compostella. Sino ad oggi, il cinema ha svolto un ruolo marginale con rispetto alle guide turistiche e alla letteratura giacobea, ma ultimamente il suo impatto nel mercato internazionale sta crescendo. Di recente, il film statunitense The Way può essere considerato il primo promotore del film-induced tourism, poiché l’arrivo di pellegrini dagli Stati Uniti è aumentato dopo la proiezione dello stesso nel 2010

TURISMO, PATRIMONIO E CULTURA: VERSO UN’ EDUCAZIONE TERRITORIALE. UN CASO DI STUDIO IN GALIZIA (SPAGNA)

Motivations for cultural tourism are essentially to learn and experience the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of tourism destinations, which is very significantly in the context of informal learning. At the same time, cultural heritage is more and more becoming part of the teaching curriculum through active and cross-curricular methods, partnership with the field of culture and the application of the widest variety of communication and expression forms. Apart from the educational purpose, cultural heritage is also considered a leading force in local and sustainable development processes. Therefore, this paper aim is to propose development strategies to promote sustainable cultural tourism and heritage education in the Portuguese Way of St. James, the ancient pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. The starting point of this proposal is an analysis of the territorial heritage of the Galicia-Northern Portugal Euro-region. From here, forms of heritage communication based on participatory management strategies are introduced. Results are pretended to be inspiring to public administrations, communities and stakeholders to establish territorial development models based on sustainable cultural tourism and heritage education, especially relevant for rural areas