Religious Events As Special Interest Tourism. a Spanish Experience
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Vol. 6 Nº 3 págs. 419-433. 2008 https://doi.org/10.25145/j.pasos.2008.06.032 www.pasosonline.org Religious Events as Special Interest Tourism. A Spanish Experience ii Angeles Rubio Gil iii Javier de Esteban Curiel Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (España) Resumen: Este artículo contribuye al desarrollo de la comprensión teórica en el campo de la gestión del turismo religioso, considerando el Peregrinaje del Rocío como paradigma alternativo de análisis, el cuál se ha constituido en un destino capaz de recibir un gran número de viajeros (peregrinos), en un período corto de tiempo (3 días), sin causar daños en el medio ambiente, tanto ecológico como social, debido a sus características antropológicas como forma de viaje que dan prioridad a la experiencia humana más que al consumo de mercado. Así, el modelo investigado en este artículo a través del concepto de “capi- tal social” es oportuno debido a la confluencia en el análisis de diversas ciencias sociales (antropología, economía y sociología) y de la teoría y de la técnica del turismo, concluyendo que el mantenimiento de la autenticidad y de la continuidad de esta forma de turismo religioso se debe planificar no en base a un modelo de bienes inmuebles como así ha sido hasta ahora, sino en la “no estacionalidad” y en la mejora de la regulación de la calidad de los servicios proporcionados. Palabras clave: Turismo religioso; Eventos especiales; Comunidad; Desarrollo local; Capital social; Autenticidad Abstract: This paper contributes to the development of the theoretical understanding in the field of religious tourism management by considering the Pilgrimage of the Dew as an alternative paradigm of analysis, which has been constituted in a destination able to host a very large number of travellers (pil- grims), in a very short period of time (3 days), without damaging the environment, ecologic and social, due to the own anthropologic characteristics of this form of travelling that gives priority to the human experience more than the market consumption. Thus, the model researched in this paper through the concept of “social capital” is opportune due to the confluence in the analysis of different social sciences (anthropology, economy and sociology) and from the theory and technique of tourism, concluding that the maintenance of the authenticity and sustainability of this form of religious tourism should be planned not on the basis of a real state model as currently, but on the unseasonality and a much better and regu- lated quality of the services provided. Keywords: Religious tourism; Special event; Community; Local development, Social capital; Authen- ticity ii • Dr. Angeles Rubio Gil is Full Time Professor in Marketing Department of Rey Juan Carlos University. She has tourism research interests in the areas of tourism, sociology, anthropology and marketing. Email: [email protected]; [email protected] iii • Dr. Javier de Esteban Curiel is Full Time Professor in Marketing Department of Rey Juan Carlos University. He has research interest in the areas of sociology, cultural tourism and marketing. Currently, his research is focused in the semiotic impacts of cultural tourism and its link with the urban environment. E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] © PASOS. Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural. ISSN 1695-7121 420 Religious Events as Special Interest Tourism ... Introduction Dew is a paradigm as factors, such as the cultural impacts and the authenticity, are Religious tourism as a special interest the origin of a particular model of economic event has a highly complex impact on local impact: the anthropologic and social as- communities. According to Cohen (1984), pects generate a flow of tourists, organisa- during their stay in the destination, tour- tion and sustainability very significant of ists interact with local residents and the this phenomenon, whereas the tourism outcome of their relationship is changes in industry remains in a very precarious the host individuals' and host community's situation. In fact, it can be considered as an quality of life, value systems, labour divi- opportunity to study the movements of sion, family relationships, attitudes, behav- travellers and their planning from the the- ioural patterns, ceremonies and creative ory of tourism. As a result, the Pilgrimage expressions. In particular, socioeconomic of the Dew is considered as a paradigm impacts of tourism include influx of people from the theoretical framework of the and related social degradation, impacts on ‘adaptancy platform’, which is the starting local communities and on cultural values. point of this study pursuing alternatives of By assessing the ‘Pilgrimage of the Dew’, tourism development, based on local par- located in the South of Spain (the Village of ticipation and adaptation to the environ- the Dew belongs to Almonte City Hall, in- ment, taking as well into consideration the side the Doñana National Park in the prov- multidiscipline perspective of the ‘knowl- ince of Huelva), a description of both quan- edge-based platform’. titative and qualitative socioeconomic Cohen (1984) states that tourism is ‘a measurements of the impact will be pre- modern form of pilgrimage, as the trip is sented. These measurements give religious also something sacred’. Consequently, the tourism an opportunity to confirm itself as authenticity of the Pilgrimage of the Dew a local agent for development. In particu- determines its model of intermediation and lar, the socioeconomic research of tourism, hospitality, located basically in the domes- following to classic authors as Cohen tic scope (collective houses, friends and (1984), tends to focus on four major the- relatives, journeys in horse-carts and pri- matic areas: the tourist, tourists and hosts, vate cars, supply from the place of origin, development and structure of the tourist etc.), outside the market activity, in a post- system, and fundamentally, the impacts of industrial society, but that produces an- tourism on local communities. other practices only understandable in this Such impacts are analysed from an eco- socioeconomic environment. Talking about nomic but also from a cultural perspective, pilgrims and tourism as a pass-through rite and it is on this last where a debate has (Turner, 1973; Cohen 1988) is also in the raised around the issue of authenticity. case of the Dew about a community rite not Studies have been carried out, both theo- contaminated by the marketing, the mix- retical and empirical ones, in order to cre- ture and the theatre sense of post- ate a framework which is divided into four modernism. It is a searching of the social platforms (Jafari, 1984; Lea, 1988): the and ethnic roots, face to the lost of refer- optimistic conceptualisation, the pessimis- ences of the contemporary society. How- tic or warning, the adaptancy, and the ever, this pilgrimage has economic impacts, knowledge-based with systematic and de- understandable just from appropriate con- tailed studies that examines tourism as a cepts of this community, such as the social holistic and multidiscipline approach. In- capital or the sustainable development. deed, currently tourism ‘is considered as a Moreover, and not less important, this ‘mega-system’ that generates and receives model of tourism development allows a in a context of interdependence of struc- slightly but consistent set up of alternative tures and forces’ (Jafari, 1989), where is tourism activities in conjunction with fes- quite difficult to separate the cultural and tivity. economic dimension, but on the contrary, to In this context, this research provides tie up these related concepts each other. an alternative paradigm of analysis to the Hence, the case of the Pilgrimage of the development of the theoretical understand- PASOS. Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural, 6(3). 2008 ISSN 1695-7121 Angeles Rubio Gil y Javier de Esteban Curiel 421 ing in the field of religious tourism man- are endogen resources, it results coherent agement by considering the Pilgrimage of the structure of a local tourism supply the Dew from the confluence of different which acts in the middle term as an impor- social sciences (anthropology, economy and tant factor of development (Pardellas and sociology). Padin, 2004). In this sense, there are two approaches in finding the research idea. On Socioeconomic dimension of cultural and one hand, from a scientific-academic per- religious tourism spective, this study explores in depth the nature of cultural and religious tourism. Cultural and religious tourism, together On the other hand, this study seeks to ana- with other alternative forms of tourism lyse the socioeconomic impact and the strengthens the local economies and con- structure of the expenditures produced by tributes to sustainable development. In this kind of tourism, from an anthropologi- fact, tourism as a development agent is an cal, economical and sociological point of idea that it has been maintained since its view. origins with mass tourism. During the 60’s and 70’s tourism was considered as a mod- Research Methodology ernisation factor in Third World countries This research combines several tech- and economically poor areas, and from the niques: (1st) participative observation, (2nd) 80’s in the local development framework, as in-depth interviews which were carried out an strategy for the creation of employment from the 10th to 13th of May 2005, and (3rd) and the growing based on the territory management of secondary statistics re- harmony, the initiative and the sustainabil- sources. A case study has been used as the ity, promoted from the local and interna- form for this research as it ensures the tional institutions, such as the European explanation of the Pilgrimage of the Dew as Union (since the Delors Survey and the a local development phenomenon. Employment White Book). A case study contributes to a better un- Religious tourism can have wider derstand the phenomenon researched by longer-term benefits as a local development studying single examples. In this current agent, both in the eyes of visitors and resi- research, a case study was applied in the dents, and lead to a sustained enhance- ‘the Brotherhood of Ronda’.