Document Type

Conference Paper

Rights

Available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike 4.0 International Licence

Disciplines

Business and Management.

Publication Details

7th Annual International Conference on Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage, Girona, Spain, 10-13 of June, 2015

Abstract

This study stresses the importance of the availability of data and relevant statistics in the advancement of tourism knowledge and the enhancement of visitor experiences (pre-and post-experiences) for those particularly interested in visiting sacred sites, as well as its study. With sacred sites in the Island of Ireland as sites under study. The dearth in data and relevant statistics on religious tourism sites and their facilities, visitor numbers and their activities, management issues, and visitor experiences, at sacred sites in the Ireland of Ireland, although widely acclaimed as a country of saints and scholars, prompted the present investigation.

In arriving at relevant data necessary for a comprehensive understanding of these sites, a mixed methodological approach to data collection was employed. Findings of this study reveals that not much attention has been given to the religious tourism market segment as a unique and economically viable market segment. As it seems to have been marketed as part of a cultural and heritage product. Evident, in the limited amount of data available in terms of visitor numbers and research into this unique/ economically viable market segment. The study further reveals that a classification of these sites into varying categories will provide easy and hands-on information to potential visitors and ease decision making on type of sites to visit and vice versa. As well as in aiding the development of travel itinerary. The research has implications to the management, marketing and policy decision making in terms of sacred sites in the Island of Ireland.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.21427/D7MB54

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