Linking the Pilgrimage Experience to Best Practice: The lessons of the RECULTIVATUR project

Abstract

This paper will focus on the early findings of the RECULTIVATUR project, a SEE funded partnership which is exploring the inclusion of religious-related cultural values in the planning and development processes of urban centres, systems of settlements and surrounding rural areas. The 15 partners have contributed 35 case studies based on the religious tourism in their areas and the University of Pannonia have been responsible for collating and conducting the initial analysis of these cases. Here we will focus on pilgrimage and the linkages which have emerged from these examples regarding other cultural and heritage tourism experiences. Our analysis of the cases reveals several examples of good practice in grounding pilgrimage not only in purely religious value systems but within the broader cultural and heritage tourism systems. The purpose of this paper will be to elaborate an analytical framework for the further investigation of other religious tourism offers, both within and without the current project, which will help to optimise the value of the developments of religious tourism not only in religious communities but also in tourism communities and host communities in a non-conflictual way. The best practices that have been identified highlight the benefits of including a wide variety of stakeholders in a holistic way, recognising not only the legitimacy of religious values but also the contribution of economic and wider social values.