Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Socio-economic Development - Tourism and Development: Concepts and Issues - page 248

pursuits appears to be increasing employment and regional income in pil-
grimage destinations (Egresi et al. , 2012; Fernandes et al. , 2012). This change
is evident in cities such as Medjugorje, Medina, Santiago de Compostela,
Mecca, Lourdes and Jerusalem, where pilgrimage is now big business, and the
economies of these places are fueled by religious tourism. As well, new pil-
grimage products, such as cruises, have the potential for increasing employ-
ment in the tourism sector and widening the reach of expenditures to
non-traditional centers of pilgrimage. Socially, pilgrimage experiences are
believed to create a sense of communitas among spiritual travelers (Turner,
1973), but pilgrimage instills a sense of pride in the communities that are
important destinations for millions of devotees each year. To live in a place
that is considered by millions (or billions) to be divine or otherwise auspi-
cious is a privilege (Mustafa, 2014), and unites residents in their collective
stewardship of the sacred.
The growing importance of trails as a cultural resource illustrates how
routes have clear social and economic development potential. Trails that link
historic locales together can embolden communities socially by the way
trails emphasize their shared heritage (see Chapter 6). To be part of a long-
distance heritage route becomes a point of pride for many communities and
creates an interest in understanding their own community roots, as well as
developing them for tourism (Timothy & Boyd, 2015). Cultural routes and
trails, regardless of scale or length, have the potential to provide economic
growth to a variety of dispersed locations. The increase in food and wine
trails during the past quarter of a century has shown how linking similar
comestible heritage products and experiences can created a deeper and more
meaningful encounter for tourists, but it also links together disparate com-
munities and enterprises that can profit from the synergy of a network of
like products and places. In addition, the involvement of multiple locations
on a heritage trail helps spread consumer spending to different locations and
creates a more balanced economic development model within a targeted
region. Heritage trails are especially important in rural development, as con-
necting villages and other rural areas to towns and cities with a common
heritage product can improve the standard of living in the rural hinterland.
Final Word
Development takes many forms, including social, economic, psychologi-
cal and political, and embodies many of the principles of sustainability.
This chapter examines the social and economic implications in particular of
heritage tourism by examining several current trends in the field of heritage
studies. Scaling of the past, the democratization of ordinary and intangible
heritage, new directions in religious tourism and the development of heritage
trails all illustrate an ability to contribute to, or sustain, economic and social