Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss various aspects of the development of the places of apparitions and miraculous images, motives and behavioral characteristics of pilgrims coming to the miraculous places of the Virgin Mary in Lithuania. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews literature about miraculous events and presents miraculous places in Lithuania (apparition places of the Virgin Mary and sites of miraculous images). Various classifications are applied. Pilgrims ' motivation and behavioral aspects are analyzed based on the quantitative survey. Findings – The research showed that the main motives of religious pilgrims visiting miraculous places were asking for God’s grace, health, expressing gratitude to Jesus or Virgin Mary as well as spiritual quest and renewal. These places attract pilgrims who want to solve different problems in their life or to recover from illnesses. Religious pilgrimage has different forms and rituals, and constitutes different models of the specific behavior. During the journey, pilgrims perform various religious practices such as praying, singing hymns, kissing the relics, etc. The grouping of devotional rituals performed during the pilgrimage and at the destination place is presented. Originality/value – The paper is important to the researchers of pilgrimage and religious tourism. For the first time, miraculous places of Lithuania are analyzed in the broader international context. Classifications of the miraculous sites indicate various aspects of the development of these places. Motives and behavioral characteristics of pilgrims enable to better understand the multidimensional reality of religious pilgrimage.
This article aims (1) to underline the level of impact of COVID-19 on the accommodation sector in Lithuanian rural areas, (2) to evaluate transformation possibilities and new opportunities for rural tourism, and (3) to present a new model of the tourism future in the regions. The article discusses the historical aspects of the accommodation business in Lithuania, the territorial distribution of accommodation in rural areas of Lithuania, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the accommodation sector in rural areas. Spatial analysis, together with qualitative and quantitative methods, was used in this research. The primary data for the article were received from the questionnaires filled out by fifty representatives of the Tourism Information Centres from different Lithuanian regions. Also, the analysis is supplemented by the secondary official statistical data. The research results revealed the direct impact of COVID-19 on the accommodation sector in rural regions of Lithuania. The proposed RegTour model contributes to reducing the impact of COVID-19 on the country's economy and promoting the development of new forms of knowledge-based business and the transformation of the sector. Moreover, the research revealed the unexploited opportunities of rural tourism and the possible directions of change.
The article deals with valuistic journeys from Lithuania. There are many reasons for undertaking valuistic journeys, the most important being personal values, personal and social identities, life experiences, lifestyle enhancement, spirituality and social and cultural influences. The two main types of Lithuanian valuistic journeys are presented in this paper: traditional religious and secular pilgrimages. The paper examines the most popular religious destinations for Lithuanians abroad and describes the most important secular destinations and events. The concept of organized valuistic journeys consists of the agreement between the identities of pilgrims and others, where social identities are marked by meanings and symbols. Valuistic journeys have overwhelmingly been structured by the desire to validate identities and reflect upon them during travel.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.