Passion Plays and Their Touristic Utilisation: Authenticity or Commercialisation?

Authors

Dimitrios Mylonopoulos, University of West Attica, Department of Tourism Management, GreeceFollow
Polyxeni Moira, University of West Attica, Department of Tourism Management, GreeceFollow
Elli Terzoglou, University of West Attica, GreeceFollow

Author ORCID Identifier

0009-0003-5757-7708

Abstract

Tourism development and the economic benefits that come from tourism have led to the increase and revival of religious celebrations and festivals in the form of events and performances, especially during the Holy Week. Many events such as Passion Plays of Jesus, due to their enduring existence in time, ‘authenticity’, particularities, originality and the emotions they evoke, capture the attention of both religious people and tourists. These Passion Plays are specific religious-cultural events that consist of depictions of scenes from Jesus Christ’s passion, following the biblical narrations (e.g. the Teaching, the Passion, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection). According to UNESCO (2014), Passion Plays combined with traditional beliefs and the ‘openness’ in the modern era allows for dialogue between generations, religious beliefs and representatives of Orthodoxy.

The present study examines the organisation and management of four different Passion Plays that take place in the European and American continents. In particular, the Passion Plays in Oberammergau, Germany, in Sordevolo, Italy, in Škofja Loka, Slovenia, and in New Jerusalem, Brazil are studied. Answers are sought to questions concerning their function as a religious event or a tourist activity or a combination of both. Furthermore, the opinions of both religious people and secular visitors are explored, regarding whether the authentic character of the events is maintained or whether it tends to be turned into a ‘performance’, or ‘spectacle,’ aiming to attract the attention of tourists.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Mylonopoulos, Dimitrios; Moira, Polyxeni; and Terzoglou, Elli (2024) "Passion Plays and Their Touristic Utilisation: Authenticity or Commercialisation?," International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage: Vol. 12: Iss. 2, Article 5.
Available at: https://arrow.tudublin.ie/ijrtp/vol12/iss2/5