Pilgrimage trails and routes: the journey from the past to the present.

Abstract

Tourism routes and trails, and in particular religious routes and trails, are explained in this chapter, before introducing the content of the book.

Cultural Routes as Cultural Tourism Products for Heritage Conservation and Regional Development: A Systematic Review

“…Cultural routes provide a way to interpret history and culture as a whole [6]. The process of developing cultural routes helps to discover various ancient routes with important historical and cultural significance and designates tangible and intangible resources along the routes as proof of their existence [7]. It can bring a new dimension to cultural heritage management through cross-regional cooperation [5], and can also be used as a tool to achieve local cultural cohesion and sustainable development [3,4].…”

“…Category A (pilgrimage and military routes), although fewer in number (n = 9), is generally better preserved due to the specific historical and cultural contexts. There is a series of governmental institutions, academic organizations, and civil society groups related to the preservation of these networks, particularly pilgrimage routes in both Japan and Europe [7,23,24]. Conversely, Category C (ancient trade, migration, or transportation routes) often crosses multiple regions or even countries (e.g., the Silk Road and the Phoenician Way).…”

“…and Europe [7,23,24]. Conversely, Category C (ancient trade, migration, or transportation routes) often crosses multiple regions or even countries (e.g., the Silk Road and the Phoenician Way).…”

Religious tourism: the journey so far

“…While sacred destinations are geographically fixed, trails leading to these destinations and other sacred landscapes are a more fluid and linear form of sacred geography. Many secondary sacred destinations are often found along routes within and to sacred places (Olsen & Trono, 2018). Indeed, pilgrimage trails are prevalent in all religions (Olsen & Trono, 2018;Timothy & Olsen, 2018) and have a religious ecosystem of their own, with religious services being offered en route.…”

Pilgrimage and Religious Tourism in Society, in the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Paradigmatic Focus on ‘St. Paul’s Route’ in the Central Macedonia Region, Greece

“…Nowadays, religious routes attract a variety of visitors, and have a multifunctional role for the economy, community and religious life (Olsen and Trono 2018;Vukonic 2002). 'St.…”