Pilgrimages to Sacred Sites as Tourism Essay -- Tourism

In discussing the viewpoint that pilgrimage to sacred site is a form of tourism there are certain terms that require definition: pilgrimage, sacred and tourism. The Oxford English Dictionary, (OED, 2012) defines pilgrimage as ‘a journey undertaken to a place of particular significance or interest’. It is usually as an act of religious devotion, homage and respect and those on a pilgrimage are referred to as Pilgrims. Waterhouse (2009, p199) defines religion as ‘a system of practices, institutions and beliefs that provide meaning to life and death’. Waterhouse’s definition not only encompasses the five main religions but also the various sub divisions and alternative religions. Tourism is defined by OED (2012) as ‘the theory and practice of touring, travelling for pleasure’ and thus a person on tour is defined as a tourist. The OED (2012) defines sacred as ‘dedicated, set apart, exclusively appropriated to some person or some special purpose’. This essay will discuss the view that pilgrimage to sacred sites is a form of tourism by outlining the debates surrounding sacred sites and between different factions. The essay will then apply these arguments and ideas to Stonehenge and Avebury. It will also look at the associations of Pilgrimage and Tourism within the ideologies surrounding leisure and their application to Glastonbury. The definition of sacred as a place separate from the secular world has different connotations and meaning for different individuals and groups. The main academic argument is between the ideas that the site is inherently sacred or is the product of human effort. Eliade (1961) argues that the ‘manifestation of something of a wholly different order, a reality that does not belong to our world in objects tha... ...ity, pp.10-34 Pike, J. (2008), ‘Leisure, Laziness and feeling good’, in Brunton, D. (ed), Place and Leisure AA100 Book 4, Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp.3-10 Reader, I. (2012), ‘Pilgrims and Pilgrimage: place and Journey in Cultures and Faiths Worldwide’, available from http://www.york.ac.uk/projects/pilgrimage/content/faiths.html accessed on the 11/5/12 ‘Sacred Space and Landscape’ (2008) (aa100DVD Video), Milton Keynes, The Open University The Open University (2008), AA100 Illustration Book (Plates for Books 3 and 4), Milton Keynes, The Open University. Waterhouse , H. (2009), ‘The Dalai Lama’, in Moohan, E (ed), Reputations AA100 Book 1, Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp.197-229 Wolffe, J. (2008), ‘Tradition and Dissent in English Christianity’ in Price, C (ed), Tradition and Dissent AA100 Book 2, Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp71-106