Visitor diversification in pilgrimage destinations: comparing national and international visitors through means-end

Abstract

In contemporary society, spirituality has dissociated from the tenets of organized ‘official’ religion, resulting in a rise of ‘private’ spirituality, defined by each individual’s beliefs. In this context, visitors from a great variety of national backgrounds are increasingly visiting pilgrimage sites across the globe, even if they have little to no cultural connections to them, bringing with them a diverse range of values to the pilgrimage site. Despite the growing presence of international visitors from across the globe, nationality has not been a studied factor when researching tourism in pilgrimage-related destinations. In order to bridge this research gap, the present study’s objective is to examine visitor diversification in pilgrimage tourism through a study of similarities and differences of values among domestic and international visitors. Utilizing means-end as a qualitative research methodology, the two most numerous nationalities were sampled: Japanese and Australians. Fieldwork was conducted in the Nakahechi trail of Kumano Kodo, an ancient pilgrimage site located in Tanabe city (Japan) developed for international tourism. The Nakahechi route is a popular route for both domestic and international visitors due to its cultural significance, easy access and moderate challenge. Results showed a variety of similarities and differences between the sampled nationalities, demonstrating a growing diversification in sacred sites which incorporates a complex range of elements related to leisure, sports, intercultural exchange, nostalgia, escapism and relaxation, beyond a continuum of contemporary spirituality and traditional religion. In conclusion, it was observed that nationality is a fundamental factor for studying pilgrimage tourism in contemporary society. As pilgrimage sites continue to develop into international destinations, nationality is an important factor that requires further attention from academics. Results also have practical implications for local administrations aiming to develop their pilgrimage resources to international visitors.

摘要

在当代社会, 灵性已经脱离了有组织的”官方”宗教的信条, 导致了由每个人的信仰定义的”私人”灵性的兴起。在这种背景下, 来自不同国家背景的游客越来越多地前往世界各地的朝圣地点, 尽管他们与这些地方几乎没有文化联系, 但却为朝圣地带来了各种各样的价值观。尽管来自世界各地的国际游客越来越多, 但在研究朝圣目的地的旅游时, 民族并不是一个研究因素。为了弥补这一研究空白, 本研究的目的是通过研究国内外游客价值观的异同来考察游客在朝圣旅游中的多样化。本研究以方法-目的为定性研究方法, 抽样调查了日本和澳大利亚两个拥有极多民族的国家。野外工作是在熊野科多兽（Kumano Kodo）的中边（Nakahechi）古道进行的, 这是一个位于田边市(日本)为国际旅游而开发的古代朝圣地。由于它的文化意义, 容易到达和适度的挑战, 中边路线是国内外游客的热门路线。结果显示抽样民族之间有各种各样的相似之处和不同之处, 表明圣地日益多样化, 除当代精神和传统宗教连续体之外, 还包括与休闲、体育、文化交流、怀旧、逃避和放松有关的一系列复杂因素。综上所述, 民族是当代社会研究朝圣旅游的一个基本因素。随着朝圣地点继续发展成为国际目的地, 民族是一个重要的因素, 需要学术界的进一步关注。研究结果对地方管理机构开发面向国际游客的朝圣资源也有实际意义。

Keywords:

• pilgrimage
• tourism
• nationality
• Japan
• Kumano Kodo
• means-end

关键词:

• 关键词:
• 朝圣
• 旅游
• 民族
• 日本
• 熊野科多兽;方法目的

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

Funded by Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

Notes on contributors

Ricardo Nicolas Progano

Ricardo Nicolas Progano is a Lecturer at the Center for Tourism Research of Wakayama University, Japan. His research interests include pilgrimage tourism, heritage management and cross-cultural studies. He has carried his fieldwork on the recent tourism development of Japanese pilgrimage sites, especially Kumano Kodo.

Kumi Kato

Kumi Kato, PhD (Queensland), is a professor at the Faculty of Tourism, Wakayama University, Japan. Her research area includes sustainability, community resilience and ethics related to tourism, focusing on disaster recovery, slow tourism and dark tourism.

Joseph M. Cheer

Joseph M. Cheer is a Professor at the Center for Tourism Research, Wakayama University, Japan. Joseph is board member International Geographical Union (IGU), Commission on Tourism and Leisure and Global Change.