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

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.