PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE

This article was downloaded by: [Ron, Amos]

On: 16 October 2009
Access details: Access Details: [subscription number 915926273]
Publisher Routledge
Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House,
37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK
Journal of Heritage Tourism
Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information:
http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~content=t794297809
Towards a typological model of contemporary Christian travel
Amos S. Ron
a
a
Department of Tourism and Hospitality Studies, Kinneret College on the Sea of Galilee, Israel
Online Publication Date: 01 November 2009
To cite this Article Ron, Amos S.(2009)'Towards a typological model of contemporary Christian travel',Journal of Heritage
Tourism,4:4,287 297
To link to this Article: DOI: 10.1080/17438730903045548
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17438730903045548
Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.informaworld.com/terms-and-conditions-of-access.pdf
This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or
systematic reproduction, re-distribution, re-selling, loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or
distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden.
The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents
will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses
should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss,
actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly
or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material.
Towards a typological model of contemporary Christian travel
Amos S. Ron

Department of Tourism and Hospitality Studies, Kinneret College on the Sea of Galilee,
M.P. Jordan Valley, Israel
(Received 19 November 2008; nal version received 15 April 2009)
Christian pilgrimage began to develop during the Byzantine era. It was characterized by
the presence of pilgrims at various main destinations in the Holy Land sites mentioned
in the New Testament. Today, some 1700 years later, this phenomenon has developed
and spread throughout the entire Christian world, and Christianity, the worlds largest
religion, has developed an enormous number of overlapping Christian travel
products. The aim of this article is to suggest and present an emerging and up-to-date
typological model of contemporary Christian travel. Various tourism models and
typologies have been developed by social scientists, and in the context of religious
tourism, a few have been developed by religion and tourism specialists. In the
context of Christian travel, however, there are only a couple of case-study-based
typologies, all with a focus on Europe. The typology presented here makes a
distinction between activities, practices and destinations related to pilgrimage and
other non-pilgrimage forms of Christian travel. The typology comprises three
categories of Christian pilgrimage and six categories of other forms of Christian
travel. This typology can be used by students, scholars and tourism practitioners at
three different levels: descriptive, analytical and interpretational.
Keywords: typology; model; Christian travel; pilgrimage; sacred sites; religious tourism
Introduction
Christian pilgrimage essentially began in the fourth century AD, by Constantine, the Byzantine
emperor. The main destination of the early pilgrims was the Holy Land, with itineraries that
focused on sites mentioned in the four gospels of the New Testament (Coleman & Elsner,
1995; Harpur, 2002; Hunt, 1982; Wilken, 1992; Wilkinson, 1977, 1990). Today, some 1700
years later, this phenomenon has developed and spread throughout the Christian world, and
many contemporary Christian travelers of various denominations and cultural backgrounds
travel at least once, and often several times, in their lifetimes to various destinations associ-
ated with their religion, carrying out practices, rites and other religious-oriented activities.
Obviously, they do not all travel at the same intensity and frequency, or to the same
destinations; economics, politics, culture and theology are some of the key factors that
shape the contemporary Christian travelers travel patterns and choices.
Every year, hundreds of millions of Christians travel throughout the world for a variety
of religious or spiritual purposes, yet relatively little is known about their patterns,
ISSN 1743-873X print/ISSN 1747-6631 online
# 2009 Taylor & Francis
DOI: 10.1080/17438730903045548
http://www.informaworld.com

Email: amosron@gmail.com
Journal of Heritage Tourism
Vol. 4, No. 4, November 2009, 287297
D
o
w
n
l
o
a
d
e
d

B
y
:

[
R
o
n
,

A
m
o
s
]

A
t
:

2
1
:
3
1

1
6

O
c
t
o
b
e
r

2
0
0
9
interactions and experiences. Likewise, while religious tourism is becoming a more
common research theme in tourism studies (e.g. Collins-Kreiner, Kliot, Mansfeld, &
Sagi, 2006; Timothy & Olsen, 2006; Vukonic, 1996), scholars have not been able to
distinguish successfully between purely religious travel to sacred sites and other forms of
travel that might not be considered pilgrimage but religious travel nonetheless. Therefore,
the aim of this article is to present a typological model of contemporary Christian travel
based largely on the authors more than two decades of working with Christian tourists
in the Holy Land. The model conceptualizes differences and similarities between true
pilgrimage and other forms of travel undertaken for religious or spiritual reasons by
Christians and elucidates how various motives, destinations and activities might interact
broadly within the realm of religious tourism.
A typological model of Christian travel
Models are verbal or idiographic representations that describe a system or concept. They are
frequently used to illustrate processes, patterns and concepts based on empirical under-
standings of the world around us. Many models have been developed to illustrate structural
elements of various social scientic phenomena, including typologies, or descriptive categ-
orizations that are used to understand patterns and processes and that are valuable in coding
and analyzing data (Rutgers University, 2007).
For many years illustrative models have been developed and widely used in the natural
and social sciences. In the eld of tourism studies, developing typologies and other models
has been a long tradition, and according to Smith (2000, p. 608), the increase in tourism
models is a reection of the scientication of tourism. Some of the best known and most
tested conceptual models were developed by Plog (2001), Butler (1980) and Cohen
(1972, 1979). Plogs psychographic typological model links tourist motivations and
psychographic characteristics with their choice of destinations and activities. Butlers des-
tination life cycle suggests a succession of stages in the development of tourist destinations
and products. Cohens (1972) rst tourist typology distinguishes between four types of tour-
ists, and his second typology (Cohen, 1979) distinguishes between ve modes of tourist
experiences. The history of tourism models is further detailed by Hvenegaard (2002) and
Smith (2000). Many researchers have applied these models to a wide assortment of case
studies to test their validity and to explain patters of growth and change. For example,
Wickens (2002) bases her case study of British tourists in Greece on Cohens (1972)
typology, and Butler (2005a, 2005b) has edited two volumes with numerous case studies
that are based on his earlier life cycle model.
In the context of religion and tourism, some of the best-known typological models have
been developed by Morinis (1992), Smith (1992), Cohen (1992) and Rinschede (1992).
Morinis (1992), in an introductory chapter to a book titled Sacred journeys: The anthropol-
ogy of pilgrimage, developed a typology of sacred journeys, which suggests six types of
pilgrims: the devotional, the instrumental, the normative, the obligatory, the wandering
and the initiatory pilgrim. Smith (1992) suggested a linear continuum, which places
pious pilgrims on one end and secular tourists at the other end. Cohens typology in a
Thai-Buddhist context makes a distinction between concentric-formal and peripheral-
popular temples. In addition, his concept distinguishes between two types of visitors to
sacred sites: the tourist pilgrim, who is a member of the relevant culture and religion,
and the traveler tourist, who is an outsider, or non-member of the relevant culture and
religion (Cohen, 1992). Rinschedes (1992) work distinguishes between short-term and
long-term religious tourism, and elaborates on the correlating terminology in German
288 A.S. Ron
D
o
w
n
l
o
a
d
e
d

B
y
:

[
R
o
n
,

A
m
o
s
]

A
t
:

2
1
:
3
1

1
6

O
c
t
o
b
e
r

2
0
0
9
and English. According to this concept, the short-term religious tourism is the pilgrimage,
whereas the latter is the pilgrimage journey.
In the context of Christian travel, the works of Nolan and Nolan (1989, 1992), Collins-
Kreiner and Kliot (2000) and Fleischer (2000) cannot be ignored. Nolan and Nolan (1989,
p. 16) suggest a three-fold typology that describes the links between shrines, religious
tourist attractions and festival sites all in Western Europe. Collins-Kreiner and Kliot
(2000) and Fleischer (2000) base their Holy Land case studies on Smiths (1992) pilgrim
and tourist continuum.
The model suggested here differs from the above-mentioned typologies because it refers
to contemporary Christian travel as a whole. Its scale is fundamentally different since, on
the one hand, it is not as broad as the typologies developed by Morinis (1992), Smith
(1992), Cohen (1992) and Rinschede (1992), whereas on the other hand, it is not as
narrow and specic as the typologies presented by Nolan and Nolan (1989, 1992),
Collins-Kreiner and Kliot (2000) and Fleischer (2000).
The model suggested here is based on a number of preliminary assumptions and
denitions. The rst assumption is that the terms religious tourism and pilgrimage are
not synonymous, but rather that pilgrimage is only one form of religious tourism. Religious
tourism can, and does, include other forms of travel activities that do not fall into the cat-
egory of pilgrimage. For example, a Jewish traveler to Europe visiting places of religious
signicance, such as synagogues and historical homes and learning centers of famous
rabbis, is not a pilgrim in the ordinary and narrow sense of the word, but rather a
(Jewish) religious tourist.
This assumption stems from the denitions of pilgrimage and religious tourism that are
used for the purposes of this research. Pilgrimage has several denitions that vary from
narrow and formal to broad and informal. Two examples of narrow and formal denitions
are provided by Glazier (1992) and Barber (1993, cited in Collins-Kreiner et al., 2006).
According to Glazier (1992, p. 135), Pilgrimage is conventionally dened as the
journey to a sacred place. Quite similarly, Barber (1993, p. 1) denes pilgrimage as
A journey resulting from religious causes, externally to a holy site, and internally for
spiritual purposes and internal understanding. Both denitions emphasize the sanctity of
the destination, be it a sacred place or other holy site.
One example of a broad and informal denition of pilgrimage is . . .an inner journey
manifest in exterior space in which the immanent and the transcendent together form a
complex spiritual and travel phenomenon (Singh, 2006, p. 220). Some studies of contem-
porary culture use the term pilgrimage in a very broad and abstract sense and apply it to the
realms of secular and civil religions as well. As an example, Reader and Walter (1993) and
Alderman (2002) use the term in the context of sacred journeys to a football stadium, to
war graves and to Elvis Presleys home. Likewise, New Age tourists are referred to by
Digance (2006, p. 37) as modern secular pilgrims. In her view, pilgrimage involves
undertaking a journey that is redolent with meaning (p. 36). The working denition
used in this current article relates to Christian pilgrimage as a journey motivated by
religious or spiritual causes to a place that is sacred to Christianity.
Sacred places or holy sites are also uid terms that are hard to dene. In her book,
Managing sacred sites, Shackley (2001, pp. 26) does not dene sacred sites but rather
suggests a classication of 11 types of sacred sites: single nodal feature; archeological
sites; burial sites; detached temples/shrines; whole towns; shrine/temple complexes;
earth energy sites; sacred mountains; sacred islands; pilgrimage foci and secular
pilgrimage. Except for the last one, all of Shackleys types have relevant Christian
examples.
Journal of Heritage Tourism 289
D
o
w
n
l
o
a
d
e
d

B
y
:

[
R
o
n
,

A
m
o
s
]

A
t
:

2
1
:
3
1

1
6

O
c
t
o
b
e
r

2
0
0
9
Religious tourism has been referred to, in Smiths (1992) continuum, as the half-way
type between pilgrimage and tourism. Nolan and Nolan (1992, p. 77) refer to the religious
tourism system as something broader than pilgrimage that consists of . . .pilgrimage
shrines, sacred places of artistic and/or historic signicance without pilgrimage associ-
ations, religious festivals, and various blends of these basic components. Santos (2003,
p. 27) suggests that . . .the term religious tourism should . . . include all kinds of travel
(voluntary, temporary and unpaid) that is motivated by religion in combination with
other kinds of motivation, and which has as its destination a religious site (of local, regional
national or international status), but for which the journey itself is not a religious practice.
In the same article, Santos (2003, p. 29) comes up with a supply-side working denition that
has an important bearing on the model presented here. According to Santos, Religious
tourism is the expression that has been used by tour operators and . . . religious leaders,
to describe all situations that bring together religion and tourism, or merely religion and
travel, including, for some, pilgrimages.
The second assumption is that tourism and pilgrimage are not found at opposite ends of
a continuum, as suggested by Smith (1992). Instead, tourism is a broader term, whereas
pilgrimage is a narrower term. In other words, pilgrimage is a sub-type, or form, of
tourism. This view was also suggested and discussed by Olsen and Timothy (2006), who
reviewed the existing literature on the pilgrimtourist dichotomy, and distinguish between
those who see pilgrims and tourists as diametrically opposed and those who see pilgrimage
as a form of tourism. Their concluding view of this intellectual debate is that . . . we speak of
types of tourists rather than whether or not one motivation is more important than another in
dening a tourist. From this perspective, then, a pilgrim is a tourist (religious tourist) who is
motivated by spiritual or religious factors (Olsen & Timothy, 2006, p. 7).
Based on this understanding of pilgrimage and tourism, the model suggested in Figure 1
distinguishes between two types of travel activities: pilgrimage (category A) and other
forms of Christian travel (category B), both within the context of Christian travel and reli-
gious tourism. The model suggests that there are three types of pilgrimage and six types of
Figure 1. A conceptualization of contemporary Christian travel.
290 A.S. Ron
D
o
w
n
l
o
a
d
e
d

B
y
:

[
R
o
n
,

A
m
o
s
]

A
t
:

2
1
:
3
1

1
6

O
c
t
o
b
e
r

2
0
0
9
non-pilgrimage forms of Christian travel destinations and practices. This classication does
not claim to be exhaustive or nal; on the contrary, it is an emerging and evolutionary typol-
ogy, and new forms of contemporary Christian travel will most likely develop in the future.
For the most part, category A refers to more traditional sites and practices, many of
which have been in existence as mainstream and institutionalized Christian tourism/pilgrim-
age products and practices for centuries. Pilgrimages are carried out to three types of holy
sites: New Testament sites, sites associated with other sacred scriptures and non-scriptural
holy sites. Category B, on the other hand, mainly refers to tourism products and practices
that are relatively recent and do not necessarily occur in Christian sacred space.
Pilgrimage tourism
New Testament sites (A-1) can be divided into two primary locales, which correspond to the
main parts of the New Testament: the Holy Land and the Eastern Mediterranean. The Holy
Land sites are located in Israel, Palestine and Jordan and correspond mainly to the time of
Jesus and to the four gospels (Mathew, Mark, Luke and John). The Eastern Mediterranean
sites are located in present-day Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Macedonia, Malta, Syria
and Turkey and correspond mostly to the time of the apostles and to the subsequent
books of the New Testament (e.g. The Acts of the Apostles and The Epistles).
Destinations associated with other sacred scriptures (A-2) include Old Testament sites
that are normally part of a Christian pilgrimage or other organized tour (e.g. Mt Carmel or
the Elah Valley, where David slew Goliath). The distinction suggested between Old
Testament sites and New Testament sites is important because certain denominations empha-
size the Jewish roots of Christianity (e.g. Christian Zionists), whereas others do not. Conse-
quently, their Holy Land itineraries and tour brochures differ considerably (Feldman,
forthcoming). The category of sites associated with other sacred scriptures also includes
Book of Mormon sites, since in the case of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day
Saints, a Christian faith sometimes known as the Mormon Church (referred to hereafter as
LDS), the Book of Mormon is considered sacred scripture together with the Holy Bible, and
consequently there are sites associated with it in Latin America (e.g. Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
and Chichen Itza, Mexico) that are visited by Mormon tourists in addition to the traditional
Christian sacred sites in the Holy Land (Hudman & Jackson, 1992; Olsen, 2006).
Non-scriptural holy sites (A-3) include four main categories: Marian sites, church
history sites, religious headquarters and LDS temples. Marian sites include places, such
as Lourdes (France), Fatima (Portugal) and Medjugorje (Bosnia Herzegovina), where the
Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to various people. The second category, church
history sites, can be further divided into two subcategories: early saints, which includes
places like Santiago de Compostela, Spain (commemorating St. James), or Downpatrick,
Ireland (commemorating St Patrick), and the denominational church history subcategory,
which includes places like Wittenberg, Germany (Lutherans), and Assisi, Italy (Franciscan).
The third category visits to religious headquarters includes, for example, visits to the
Vatican City or to the LDS Church headquarters in Salt Lake City, UT (USA). The fourth
category includes visits to LDS temples by Mormons for the purpose of performing sacred
rituals (Hudman & Jackson, 1992; Olsen, 2006, 2009; Shackley, 2001).
Other forms of Christian travel
Category B refers to sites and practices unrelated to pilgrimage, according to the above-
mentioned denition, since the travel does not involve visiting holy sites. The sites and
Journal of Heritage Tourism 291
D
o
w
n
l
o
a
d
e
d

B
y
:

[
R
o
n
,

A
m
o
s
]

A
t
:

2
1
:
3
1

1
6

O
c
t
o
b
e
r

2
0
0
9
practices presented in category B are more common among Protestants, and much of
its development can be attributed to social grassroots processes undergone by individuals
and organizations of this denomination (C. Pack, personal communication, October,
23, 2008).
One of the most likely reasons for the constant development of other non-pilgrimage
tourism products among Protestants has something to do with the theological opposition
to the Catholic notion of pilgrimage. This notion rests on what, 400 years after the emer-
gence of Protestantism, Eliade termed the heterogeneity of space (Eliade, 1959; Ron &
Feldman, 2009). According to this notion, many Protestants did not accept the view that
some places were sacred, whereas others were profane (i.e. space is heterogeneous), and
claimed that since God can be everywhere there are no holy places (i.e. space is homo-
geneous). Thus, many of the examples presented in this category serve as modern-day
alternatives to traditional pilgrimages as dened earlier that have long been undertaken
by Roman Catholics and members of the Eastern Orthodox sects.
Visits to Christian sites of art and architecture (B-1) are popular in many places,
especially Europe. Some of the nest examples would be the visit to Chartres Cathedral
(France) (Relph, 1976) and to various medieval churches in Florence (Italy).
Contrived attractions (B-2), also known as themed environments or Christian theme
sites, include very large examples, such as The Holy Land Experience, in Orlando, FL
(USA) (Rowan, 2004), or smaller ones, such as Nazareth Village in Nazareth (Israel)
(Ron & Feldman, 2009; Shoval, 2000). Although this phenomenon is primarily Protestant
in its appeal, this type of attraction is also being developed in non-Protestant (i.e. Catholic)
environments, such as Argentina (Tierra Santa, 2009).
Attending Christian conferences and conventions (B-3) can be a very rewarding spiri-
tual experience and is sometimes combined with ordinary tourism activities, such as golf,
shopping and sightseeing. Such conferences can be small and denominational, and can take
place anywhere and at any time (e.g. the WWMF New Beginnings Pentecostal conference
in Barbados) (Worldwide Mission Fellowship, 2008), even on a cruise ship. Or they can
be very large events that have an unchanging location and time, such as the LDS General
Conference in Salt Lake City, UT (USA) (Hudman & Jackson, 1992), which draws more
than 100,000 attendees from all over the world two times a year (LDS Church, 2009).
The category of Christian dramatic presentations (B-4) includes passion plays and
pageants. Passion plays are dramatic presentations depicting the Passion of Christ (the
last few days of his life and the suffering that accompanied them) and are considered a tra-
ditional part of Lent in several denominations, particularly in the Roman Catholic tradition.
Passion plays are, in some cases, well-known tourist attractions, as is the case with famous
presentation in Oberammergau, Germany (Shapiro, 2000) and The Great Passion Play in
Eureka Springs, AR (USA) (Marini, 2003, p. 254). Christian-oriented pageants can
present a variety of themes, and among the more well-known ones are the LDS
Hill Cumorah Pageant in Palmyra, NY (USA) (Marini, 2003, p. 213), and the Knoxville
Nativity Pageant in Knoxville, TN (USA) (Nativity Pageant of Knoxville, 2009).
Christian volunteer tourism (B-5) takes on many shapes and forms. One possible way to
distinguish between the various forms of volunteer activities is to distinguish between
volunteering at Christian sites and participating in humanitarian aid projects. A good
example of the rst kind is The Garden Tomb in Jerusalem, where many Christians
believe Jesus was laid to rest. The Garden Tomb and its surrounds rely almost exclusively
on Christian volunteers, who come to serve at the site for a few weeks at a time.
Christian humanitarian aid tours are short-term missions that are often carried out by
Protestant congregations from developed countries and are geared toward helping the
292 A.S. Ron
D
o
w
n
l
o
a
d
e
d

B
y
:

[
R
o
n
,

A
m
o
s
]

A
t
:

2
1
:
3
1

1
6

O
c
t
o
b
e
r

2
0
0
9
needy in third-world countries (Brown & Morrison, 2003). These activities can include pro-
viding medical assistance, cleaning projects and just about any activity aimed at improving
the life of the host community.
Visiting local communities (B-6) is a short-term mission activity that can take place
not only in the context of humanitarian aid visits, but also as a way of showing solidarity
and encouraging local Christians who feel persecuted because of their minority religion and
faith. One example is Living Stones Tours
1
to the Holy Land (Sizer, 1999). A second sub-
type among these tours focuses on missionary short-term visits to non-Christian commu-
nities, as described for example by Han (2008), regarding Koreans missionary visits to
less-developed countries. According to Han (2008, p. 66), Korea is the second largest
mission sender in the world, after the USA, and South Koreans and Korean Americans
perform missionary work in several third-world countries . . .that most urgently need
Christianity (Han, 2008, p. 68).
Pilgrimage versus other forms of Christian travel: the combined product
Pilgrim and religious travel are not always two separate tourism products that never
intersect, hence the partial overlap between circles A and B. In 1990, for example,
there were several cases of Christian congregations attending the passion play in Oberam-
mergau (Germany) as a stopover on the way to a Holy Land pilgrimage (A. Hearl, personal
communication, August 12, 1990). As another example, an American evangelical congre-
gation organized for its members a humanitarian aid short-term mission journey to
Romania, which was immediately followed by a church history tour to relevant places of
interest in Western Europe (C. Pack, personal communication, October, 23, 2008).
Despite the somewhat arbitrary division in the diagram, from the Christian travelers
point of view, both parts of the trip formed a spiritual experience, although one part
could be dened as pilgrimage, whereas the other part was not.
Discussion and conclusions
The various components that make up the suggested typology are not only travel
destinations, activities and practices, but can also be viewed as travel products. Thus, the
consumer (i.e. the Christian traveler) has in theory, at least a choice of several Christian
travel products to choose from, ranging from the conventional pilgrimage (e.g. A-1) to the
less conventional contemporary practices such as Christian voluntary tourism (B-5) and vis-
iting local communities (B-6). It is most likely that in reality Christian travelers choose the
best travel product in light of social, spiritual, cultural and economic circumstances.
Typological models are never perfect, in the sense that in any given representation one
can nd certain examples that suggest incongruities between the graphic or verbal descrip-
tion of reality and the reality itself. The model proposed here is based on the choice of a
narrow and formal denition of pilgrimage that focuses on a religiously meaningful
journey to a holy site. If this study had used a broader and more informal denition of
pilgrimage, most of the B categories mentioned in the typology could have been regarded
as pilgrimage practices, as well, as some observers might have argued.
Some of the proposed categories can be classied under both A (pilgrimage) and B
(other forms of Christian travel), depending on the particular circumstances. For example,
Mormons visiting an LDS temple can be regarded as pilgrimage because of the attributed
sanctity of the temple (the holiest place on earth) (Hudman & Jackson, 1992; Olsen, 2006;
Shackley, 2001), but it may also be regarded as an artistic and architectural visit (Hudman &
Journal of Heritage Tourism 293
D
o
w
n
l
o
a
d
e
d

B
y
:

[
R
o
n
,

A
m
o
s
]

A
t
:

2
1
:
3
1

1
6

O
c
t
o
b
e
r

2
0
0
9
Jackson, 1992) by other LDS Church members, or even by the same person under different
travel circumstances.
The links between A and B are as yet unclear and are incompletely described by
Figure 1. In other words, one can assume that some travelers choose A products, others
choose B products, while others yet may choose both, but as far as this author is
aware, there are no empirical data as to the actual choices of different travelers. Further-
more, we know little about the preferable order of the described activities and practices.
Is the order different for different cultures and denominations? Is there an advantage, for
example, in performing a traditional pilgrimage rst, and volunteering at a later stage?
What is the frequency of consumption of these travel products? These questions and
others reect the dearth of data concerning the possible links between A and B.
One of the advantages of the classication proposed in Figure 1 is that it allows the
reader to comprehend the scale and diversity of Christian religious tourism. Christianity,
the worlds largest religion (Adherents.com, 2007), is widespread and highly diversied
with many sects and sub-sects. Consequently, Christian travel takes on many shapes and
forms, existing almost everywhere on earth.
The suggested conceptualization is an intellectual and graphic tool that can be used by
researchers and practitioners at four different levels: descriptive, management, analytical
and interpretational. At a descriptive level, it is useful as an inventory tool. It enables us
to understand Christian travel products, sites, practices and activities. Moreover, it
enables us to map existing and new directions in Christian travel that have already been
well researched, such as pilgrimages to Marian sites (Chadefaud, 1981; Eade, 1992;
Post, Pieper, & van Uden, 1998) and those that are under-researched, such as B-4 (Christian
dramatic presentations).
Such a model also has planning and product management implications. From a planning
and destination perspective, such a typology can assist destinations in understanding
motives, types and interactions as regards religious travel. It has potential in assisting
destinations and religious attractions in determining how best to cater to the needs of
pilgrims and other tourists and decide on the products that might best suite their tastes.
At an analytical level, the typology has at least two potential uses: it enables us to focus
on the possible linkages between A and B (Figure 2) and it is useful for comparative
studies, both within Christianity (i.e. between denominations) and between religions.
Figure 2. Potential links between A and B types of Christian travel.
294 A.S. Ron
D
o
w
n
l
o
a
d
e
d

B
y
:

[
R
o
n
,

A
m
o
s
]

A
t
:

2
1
:
3
1

1
6

O
c
t
o
b
e
r

2
0
0
9
At an interpretational level, the model might be useful in the study of the theological
differences between the various Christian denominations. For example, Protestants, as a
whole, are less inclined to perform traditional pilgrimages to sacred sites (compared with
Catholic and Orthodox Christians). The other forms of Christian travel that develop are a
reection of this avoidance. Furthermore, this typology can be useful in interpreting the
reciprocal inuences that co-exist between contemporary, not necessarily Christian,
tourism trends, such as volunteer tourism (Brown, 2005; Stoddart & Rogerson, 2004;
Wearing, 2001) and poverty alleviation through tourism (Ashley, Roe, & Goodwin,
2001; Cole, 2008; Hall, 2007), on the one hand, and contemporary Christian travel
trends, on the other.
To conclude, the model proposed here is not only a description of an existing reality, but
also a reection of theology and culture. Its potential value and importance lie in the uses
that will be made of it by students, scholars and practitioners in the overlap between the
elds of tourism and religion.
Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank the following people for their helpful comments on earlier drafts of the
model: H.E. Abbu-Dayyeh (NET Tours, Rome, Italy); N. Collins-Kreiner (University of Haifa, Haifa,
Israel); Y. Harani (Tel Aviv, Israel); M.F. Hodgson (Maranatha Tours, London, UK); A. Marom (Israel
Ministry of Tourism, Jerusalem, Israel); Y. Ron (Elsevier B.V., Philadelphia, USA).
Note
1. The term Living Stones refers to the local Christian Palestinian communities in the Holy Land.
The term is derived from the New Testament: He is the Living Stone, rejected by human beings
but chosen by God and precious to him; set yourselves close to him so that you too may be
Living Stones making a spiritual house as a holy priesthood to offer the spiritual sacrices
made acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:45).
References
Adherents.com. (2007). Major religions of the world. Retrieved March 13, 2009, from http://www.
adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html
Alderman, D. (2002). Writing on the Graceland wall: On the importance of authorship in pilgrimage
landscapes. Tourism Recreation Research, 27(2), 2733.
Ashley, C., Roe, D., & Goodwin, H. (2001). Pro-poor tourism strategies: Making tourism work for the
poor. A review of experience (Pro-Poor Tourism Report No. 1). London: Overseas Development
Institute, International Institute for Environment and Development, & Centre for Responsible
Tourism. Retrieved June 18, 2009, from http:www.haroldgoodwin.inforesourcesppt_report.pdf.
Barber, R. (1993). Pilgrimages. London: The Boydell Press.
Brown, S. (2005). Travelling with a purpose: Understanding the motives and benets of volunteer
vacationers. Current Issues in Tourism, 8(6), 479496.
Brown, S., & Morrison, A.M. (2003). Expanding volunteer vacation participation: An exploratory
study on the mini-mission concept. Tourism Recreation Research, 28(3), 7382.
Butler, R.W. (1980). The concept of tourism area cycle of evolution: Implications for management of
resources. The Canadian Geographer, 24(1), 512.
Butler, R.W. (Ed.). (2005a). The tourism area life cycle vol. 1: Applications and modications.
Clevedon: Channel View Publications.
Butler, R.W. (Ed.). (2005b). The tourism area life cycle vol. 2: Conceptual and theoretical issues.
Clevedon: Channel View Publications.
Chadefaud, M. (1981). Lourdes: un Pelerinage, une Ville. Aix-en-Provence, France: Edisud.
Cohen, E. (1972). Toward a sociology of international tourism. Social Research, 39(1), 164182.
Cohen, E. (1979). A phenomenology of tourist experiences. Sociology, 2(13), 180201.
Journal of Heritage Tourism 295
D
o
w
n
l
o
a
d
e
d

B
y
:

[
R
o
n
,

A
m
o
s
]

A
t
:

2
1
:
3
1

1
6

O
c
t
o
b
e
r

2
0
0
9
Cohen, E. (1992). Pilgrimage centers: Concentric and excentric. Annals of Tourism Research, 19(1),
3350.
Cole, S. (2008). Living in hope: Tourism and poverty alleviation in Flores? In P. Burns & M. Novelli
(Eds.), Tourism development: Growth, myths and inequalities (pp. 272289). Wallingford: CAB
International.
Coleman, S., & Elsner, J. (1995). Pilgrimage: Past and present in world religions. Cambridge, MA:
Harvard University Press.
Collins-Kreiner, N., & Kliot, N. (2000). Pilgrimage tourism in the Holy Land: The behavioural
characteristics of Christian pilgrims. GeoJournal, 50(1), 5567.
Collins-Kreiner, N., Kliot, N., Mansfeld, Y., & Sagi, K. (2006). Christian tourism to the Holy Land:
Pilgrimage during security crisis. Aldershot: Ashgate.
Digance, J. (2006). Religious and secular pilgrimage: Journeys redolent with meaning. In
D.J. Timothy & D.H. Olsen (Eds.), Tourism, religion and spiritual journeys (pp. 3648).
London: Routledge.
Eade, J. (1992). Pilgrimage and tourism at Lourdes, France. Annals of Tourism Research, 19(1),
1832.
Eliade, M. (1959). The sacred and the profane: The nature of religion. New York: Harcourt, Brace &
World.
Feldman, J. (forthcoming). Crossing into Bethlehem: In the footsteps of the Israeli and Palestinian
Jesus. History and Memory.
Fleischer, A. (2000). The tourist behind the pilgrim in the Holy Land. International Journal of
Hospitality Management, 19(3), 311326.
Glazier, S.D. (1992). Pilgrimages in the Caribbean: A comparison of cases from Haiti and Trinidad. In
E.A. Morinis (Ed.), Sacred journeys: The anthropology of pilgrimage (pp. 135147). Westport,
CT: Greenwood Press.
Hall, C.M. (2007). Editorial: Pro-poor tourism: Do tourism exchanges benet primarily the countries
of the south? Current Issues in Tourism, 10(2/3), 111118.
Han, J.H.J. (2008). Missionary. Aether: The Journal of Media Geography, 3(June), 5883. Retrieved
June 18, 2009, from http://geogdata.csun.edu/aether/volume_03.html
Harpur, J. (2002). Sacred tracks: 2000 years of Christian pilgrimage. Berkeley, CA: University of
California Press.
Hudman, L.E., & Jackson, R.H. (1992). Mormon pilgrimage and tourism. Annals of Tourism
Research, 19(1), 107121.
Hunt, E.D. (1982). Holy Land pilgrimage in the later Roman Empire AD 312460. Oxford:
Clarendon Press.
Hvenegaard, G.T. (2002). Using tourist typologies for ecotourism research. Journal of Ecotourism,
1(1), 718.
LDS Church. (2009). Thousands to attend 179th annual general conference. Retrieved June 18, 2009,
from http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/thousands-to-attend-
179th-annual-general-conference?continued
Marini, S.A. (2003). Sacred song in America: Religion, music, and public culture. Urbana, IL:
University of Illinois Press.
Morinis, E.A. (1992). Introduction: The territory of the anthropology of pilgrimage. In E.A. Morinis
(Ed.), Sacred journeys: The anthropology of pilgrimage (pp. 128). Westport, CT: Greenwood
Press.
Nativity Pageant of Knoxville. (2009). The Knoxville nativity pageant. Retrieved April 10, 2009, from
http://www.knoxvillenativity.com/
Nolan, M.L., & Nolan, S. (1989). Christian pilgrimage in modern Western Europe. Chapel Hill, NC:
University of North Carolina Press.
Nolan, M.L., & Nolan, S. (1992). Religious sites as tourism attractions in Europe. Annals of Tourism
Research, 19(1), 6878.
Olsen, D.H. (2006). Tourism and informal pilgrimage among the latter-day saints. In D.J. Timothy &
D.H. Olsen (Eds.), Tourism, religion and spiritual journeys (pp. 254270). London: Routledge.
Olsen, D.H. (2009). The strangers within our gates: Managing visitors at temple square. Journal of
Management, Spirituality and Religion, 6(2), 121139.
Olsen, D.H., & Timothy, D.J. (2006). Tourism and religious journeys. In D.J. Timothy & D.H. Olsen
(Eds.), Tourism, religion and spiritual journeys (pp. 121). London: Routledge.
296 A.S. Ron
D
o
w
n
l
o
a
d
e
d

B
y
:

[
R
o
n
,

A
m
o
s
]

A
t
:

2
1
:
3
1

1
6

O
c
t
o
b
e
r

2
0
0
9
Plog, S. (2001). Why destination areas rise and fall in popularity: An update of a Cornell Quarterly
classic. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, 42(3), 1324.
Post, P., Pieper, J., & van Uden, M. (1998). The modern pilgrim: Multidisciplinary explorations of
Christian pilgrimage. Leuven: Uitgeverij Peeters.
Reader, I., & Walter, T. (Eds.). (1993). Pilgrimage in popular culture. Basingstoke: The Macmillan
Press Ltd.
Relph, E. (1976). Place and placelessness. London: Pion.
Rinschede, G. (1992). Forms of religious tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 19(1), 5167.
Ron, A.S., & Feldman, J. (2009). From spots to themed sites the evolution of the Protestant Holy
Land. Journal of Heritage Tourism, 4(3), 201216.
Rowan, Y. (2004). Repacking the pilgrimage: Visiting the Holy Land in Orlando. In Y. Rowan &
U. Baram (Eds.), Marketing heritage: Archaeology and the consumption of the past
(pp. 249266). Walnut Creek, CA: Alta Mira Press.
Rutgers University. (2007). Glossary, Center for Social and Character Development. Retrieved
September 19, 2008, from http://www.rucharacter.org/page/ea_glossary/#T
Santos, M.G.M.P. (2003). Religious tourism: Contributions towards a clarication of concepts. In
C. Fernandes, F. McGettigan, & J. Edwards (Eds.), Religious tourism and pilgrimage, ATLAS
Special Interest Group, 1st Expert Meeting (pp. 2742). Fatima, Portugal: Tourism Board of
Leiria/Fatima.
Shackley, M. (2001). Managing sacred sites: Service provision and visitor experience. London:
Continuum.
Shapiro, J.S. (2000). Oberammergau: The troubling story of the worlds most famous passion play.
Rome: Pantheon.
Shoval, N. (2000). Commodication and theming of the sacred: Changing patterns of tourist
consumption in the Holy Land. In M. Gottdiener (Ed.), New forms of consumption:
Consumers, culture and commodication (pp. 251263). Boulder, CO: Rowman and Littleeld.
Singh, R.P.B. (2006). Pilgrimage in Hinduism: Historical context and modern perspectives. In
D.J. Timothy & D.H. Olsen (Eds.), Tourism, religion and spiritual journeys (pp. 220236).
London: Routledge.
Sizer, S.R. (1999). The ethical challenges of managing pilgrimages to the Holy Land. International
Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 11(2/3), 8590.
Smith, V.L. (1992). Introduction: The quest in guest. Annals of Tourism Research, 19(1), l17.
Smith, V.L. (2000). Typology, tourist. In J. Jafari (Ed.), Encyclopedia of tourism (pp. 608609).
London: Routledge.
Stoddart, H., & Rogerson, C.M. (2004). Volunteer tourism: The case of habitat for humanity South
Africa. GeoJournal, 60(3), 311318.
Tierra Santa. (2009). Tierra Santa Parque Tematico. Retrieved March 13, 2009, from http://www.
tierrasanta-bsas.com.ar/
Timothy, D.J., & Olsen, D.H. (2006). Tourism, religion and spiritual journeys. London: Routledge.
Vukonic, B. (1996). Tourism and religion. Oxford: Pergamon.
Wearing, S. (2001). Volunteer tourism: Experiences that make a difference. Wallingford: CAB
International.
Wickens, E. (2002). Sacred and the profane: A tourist typology. Annals of Tourism Research, 29(3),
834851.
Wilken, R.L. (1992). The land called holy: Palestine in Christian history and thought. New Haven,
CT: Yale University Press.
Wilkinson, J. (1977). Jerusalem pilgrims before the crusades. Warminster: Aris & Phillips.
Wilkinson, J. (1990). Jewish holy places the origins of Christian pilgrimage. In R. Ousterhout (Ed.),
The blessings of pilgrimage (pp. 4159). Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press.
Worldwide Mission Fellowship. (2008). WWMF Barbados conference 2008. Retrieved October 30,
2008, from http://www.wwmf.org/2008/barbados/
Journal of Heritage Tourism 297
D
o
w
n
l
o
a
d
e
d

B
y
:

[
R
o
n
,

A
m
o
s
]

A
t
:

2
1
:
3
1

1
6

O
c
t
o
b
e
r

2
0
0
9