Tracing Roots and Routes of Religious Tourism in Rural Areas of Greece: The Case of the “Footsteps of St. Paul”

Tracing Roots and Routes of Religious Tourism in Rural Areas of Greece: The Case of the “Footsteps of St. Paul”

Despoina Lampada (Time Heritage, Greece), Yorgos Tzedopoulos (Time Heritage, Greece), Afroditi Kamara (Time Heritage, Greece), and Kleopatra Ferla (Time Heritage, Greece)
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-5730-2.ch002
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Abstract

Greece is an Orthodox country, pretty much attached to its religious past and identity. This factor has had a decisive impact on its approaches to religious tourism so far. The model of religious pilgrimage, especially in rural areas, is based on excursions to particular religious centers on local saints' days rather than on religious itineraries, as is the case in other countries where routes such as that of Santiago de Compostela or Via Francigena have been traced for a long time. On the other hand, the route along St. Paul's travels in Greece is growing in international appeal, with various travel agencies active in the field. The chapter focuses on describing existing infrastructure along St. Paul's route, on its possible linkage to various forms of tourism as well as to the development of a hiking route along Via Egnatia (patly covering St.Paul's itinerary), and on the impact this will have on rural communities in terms of opportunities offered for local societies and economies to develop.
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Cultural Itineraries, Pilgrimage, And The Greek Countryside: Premises And Challenges

The development of cultural itineraries as part of a strategy for the touristic development of the Greek countryside has entered public discourse in the wake of the general shift of interest towards cultural routes, evident in the emergence of the “European Cultural Routes” under the auspices of the Council of Europe. The association of itineraries with religious pilgrimage, however, remains a vague idea for domestic visitors and local societies and is largely derivative, influenced by the increasing interest in the institution of pilgrimage routes in other European countries.

St. James’s Route (Via de Santiago de Compostela) in Spain and Via Francigena in Italy have shown that the potential of pilgrimage routes is not exhausted in religiously-motivated visitors. The numbers of participants in pilgrimage tours are steadily growing and have come to include travellers who may be interested in the cultural landscapes, in walking through a foreign land and enjoying an alternative touristic experience, or even in hiking as a sport. Spiritual quests do not apply to religion only, but respond to the human need for recollection, liberation of the mind and soul from everyday tasks, and desire for authenticity. The development of these routes into organized itineraries enables visitors to use them even if they do not feel connected to the religious overtones of the pilgrimage per se.

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