Location
Monserrat
Start Date
26-6-2026 12:30 PM
End Date
26-6-2026 2:00 PM
Description
Over the past decade, the pilgrim–tourist dichotomy, originally articulated by Smith (1992), has come under sustained scrutiny, particularly in light of postmodern critiques that problematize rigid dualisms and emphasize the fluidity of personal identity. Scholars have long debated the usefulness of this binary framework. On one hand, some have sought to refine the dichotomy by inserting additional categories along a spectrum, attempting to capture the nuances between pilgrims and tourists. On the other hand, many critics have dismissed the model’s analytical utility entirely, often without offering a concrete alternative to understand the distinctions between these two types of travelers.
This presentation contributes to this ongoing conversation by proposing a reorientation of the pilgrim tourist relationship through a curvilinear framework. Rather than conceptualizing the relationship as a straight line with two opposing endpoints, a curvilinear lens recognizes that individuals may move along overlapping and nonlinear trajectories, reflecting varying degrees of motivation, experience, and identity. This approach not only addresses key postmodern concerns but also provides a more flexible and empirically actionable model for researchers. The presentation outlines this curvilinear conceptualization and demonstrates practical strategies for integrating it into fieldwork, survey design, and interpretive studies, offering a robust tool for examining the complex interplay between pilgrimage and tourism in contemporary contexts.
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Included in
J1) Reorienting the Pilgrim-Tourist Dichotomy
Monserrat
Over the past decade, the pilgrim–tourist dichotomy, originally articulated by Smith (1992), has come under sustained scrutiny, particularly in light of postmodern critiques that problematize rigid dualisms and emphasize the fluidity of personal identity. Scholars have long debated the usefulness of this binary framework. On one hand, some have sought to refine the dichotomy by inserting additional categories along a spectrum, attempting to capture the nuances between pilgrims and tourists. On the other hand, many critics have dismissed the model’s analytical utility entirely, often without offering a concrete alternative to understand the distinctions between these two types of travelers.
This presentation contributes to this ongoing conversation by proposing a reorientation of the pilgrim tourist relationship through a curvilinear framework. Rather than conceptualizing the relationship as a straight line with two opposing endpoints, a curvilinear lens recognizes that individuals may move along overlapping and nonlinear trajectories, reflecting varying degrees of motivation, experience, and identity. This approach not only addresses key postmodern concerns but also provides a more flexible and empirically actionable model for researchers. The presentation outlines this curvilinear conceptualization and demonstrates practical strategies for integrating it into fieldwork, survey design, and interpretive studies, offering a robust tool for examining the complex interplay between pilgrimage and tourism in contemporary contexts.