Location
Monserrat
Start Date
26-6-2026 9:30 AM
End Date
26-6-2026 11:00 AM
Description
A series of global factors have led scholars to renewed research into tourism governance, including the lingering effects of the pandemic, overtourism, quality of life issues, sustainability of tourism destination sites (WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2024; Vargas-Sánchez, 2023). In addition, there has been a gradual shift in approach to tourism policy literature from the notion of government to that of governance (Hall, 2012; Bramwell and Lane, 2012; Jamal and Camargo, 2018; Piva, et al, 2019; Bozonelos, 2023). Thus, governance is a central issue in tourism. Governance is described as the “act of governing”, or a focus on the “systems of governance” (Bramwell and Lane, 2012; Hall, and Saarinen, 2025). While this definition may be tautological, it is helpful in that the concept of governance not easily defined. It is definitely broader than just the formal agencies of government, even though they have an important role.
This paper explores religious tourism governance as it can add several wrinkles, particularly when it comes to how power is exercised through preexisting mechanisms. Often religious actors are involved, sometimes reflecting the interests of the local community, and sometimes not. Their role, or lack thereof, of religious actors and stakeholders in tourism destination sites can be pivotal (Bozonelos, et al, 2023). Religious actors may have a custodian role, where management is expected, or the role might be just limited to religious services. In addition, the tourist experience, can vary due to religious motivations, with pilgrims expecting a different consumption of the experience than those of cultural or religious tourists (Piva, Cerutti, Raj, 2019). There is also the increasing role of the state in sacred sites within a post-neoliberal era of geopolitics (Bozonelos, 2023; Bozonelos, 2024). Finally, religious trails and routes are often transnational and require multi-stakeholder coordination (Manoli, 2022; Gasparini, 2024)
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Included in
H2) Governance at Religious/Cultural Tourism Destination Sites
Monserrat
A series of global factors have led scholars to renewed research into tourism governance, including the lingering effects of the pandemic, overtourism, quality of life issues, sustainability of tourism destination sites (WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2024; Vargas-Sánchez, 2023). In addition, there has been a gradual shift in approach to tourism policy literature from the notion of government to that of governance (Hall, 2012; Bramwell and Lane, 2012; Jamal and Camargo, 2018; Piva, et al, 2019; Bozonelos, 2023). Thus, governance is a central issue in tourism. Governance is described as the “act of governing”, or a focus on the “systems of governance” (Bramwell and Lane, 2012; Hall, and Saarinen, 2025). While this definition may be tautological, it is helpful in that the concept of governance not easily defined. It is definitely broader than just the formal agencies of government, even though they have an important role.
This paper explores religious tourism governance as it can add several wrinkles, particularly when it comes to how power is exercised through preexisting mechanisms. Often religious actors are involved, sometimes reflecting the interests of the local community, and sometimes not. Their role, or lack thereof, of religious actors and stakeholders in tourism destination sites can be pivotal (Bozonelos, et al, 2023). Religious actors may have a custodian role, where management is expected, or the role might be just limited to religious services. In addition, the tourist experience, can vary due to religious motivations, with pilgrims expecting a different consumption of the experience than those of cultural or religious tourists (Piva, Cerutti, Raj, 2019). There is also the increasing role of the state in sacred sites within a post-neoliberal era of geopolitics (Bozonelos, 2023; Bozonelos, 2024). Finally, religious trails and routes are often transnational and require multi-stakeholder coordination (Manoli, 2022; Gasparini, 2024)