How Effective Is a Buddhist Pilgrimage Circuit as a Product and Strategy for Heritage Tourism in India?

Pilgrimage tourism, among the earliest forms of tourism with a tradition spanning centuries, stands as a steadfast global attraction. This article delves into the significance, diversity, and historical roots of this tourism type, recognizing the contemporary surge in interest in pilgrimage sites. Offering an overview of globally prominent pilgrimage destinations and highlighting key locations in Slovakia, the article emphasizes the country’s considerable potential for the utilization and development of these sacred sites, despite its compact size. It stresses the need to foster this historically significant tourism sector and the necessity for attention and support from the government sector to maximize its potential. The relevance of pilgrimage became particularly apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic, with observable visitor participation despite challenging conditions at various pilgrimage sites. The article examines the pilgrimage’s evolution before, during, and after the pandemic, using Levoča and Šaštín in Slovakia as illustrative cases. One of the main objectives of this study was to clarify the development of pilgrimage tourism in Slovakia over the past decades and the factors influencing it. The attendance analysis unmistakably reveals a significant upward trend at these specific locations, emphasizing the need to establish collaborative efforts to support this sector. Such collaboration is crucial for ensuring the sustainability of historically significant sites, fostering local development, and increasing the visibility of less-visited pilgrimage destinations.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of Pilgrimage Tourism in Slovakia over the Past Decades: Examples of Selected Pilgrimage Sites

Jesenský,

Kornecká,

Molokáč

et al. 2024

“…The benefits that can be obtained from heritage tourism depend on several factors-not only the attractiveness of the place, customs, historical, or sentimental values, but also the involvement of all stakeholders in the tourism area. For example, research on the effectiveness of pilgrimage tourism has shown that itineraries depend on several factors, including travel convenience, accommodation options, ability to perform pilgrimage rituals, and institutional management for tourism [22]. Managers of cultural heritage sites need to remember to ensure authenticity, culinary appeal, atmosphere, and quality of service [23].…”

Section: Heritage Tourism Functionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Attempt to Estimate the Social Value Resulting from Making Cultural Heritage Available in the Form of a Tourist Product

Szromek,

Bugdol

2023

Cultural heritage tourism is a multidimensional tourist activity because, apart from the advantages associated with practicing tourist activity, it is particularly associated with cognitive motives when it comes to practicing it, and even with discovering cultural identity. Such an activity has a specific value in relation to the adopted perspective. Researchers often attempt to determine the value that a tourism-related product has for the customer (tourist). Sometimes, it is defined as the value captured by the entity providing the tourism product. However, it is extremely rare for research to assess the social value of tourism. The aim of this work is to identify issues that can be used in measuring the social value resulting from cultural heritage made available in the form of a tourist product. The authors review the literature on cultural heritage and cultural identity, and then use a particular methodology to develop a tool for assessing social value. To develop their own research tool, the authors use the results of research conducted in 2021/2022 among managers of 70 cultural heritage tourism facilities in Europe. As a result, a tool was created that includes six statements that can contribute to the assessment of the social value resulting from the provision of material cultural heritage in the form of a tourist product. The reliability of the tool was estimated at 0.69 and its standardized rating at 0.71. The social value of cultural heritage, in the opinion of experts, achieved an average rating of 4.06 (on a scale from 1 to 5), with the 6-item version of the tool attaining an average rating of 4.10. Taking into account the usefulness of the proposed solutions, remember that the paper reflects only the European vision, which is one of many possible views.

“…The timeline of the establishment of different Buddhist monasteries shows that the growth of Sarnath as a Buddhist pilgrimage center has been sluggish, compared to other places such as Bodhgaya, which presently boasts of more than 200 monasteries of varying sizes [7]. In terms of attractions, the Thai monastery and its gardens are the most visited because of their close vicinity to the archaeological ruins.…”

Section: Sacred Geographymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As such, alongside Bodhgaya (where the Buddha attained Enlightenment), Lumbini (where the Buddha was born), and Kushinagar (where the Buddha died), Sarnath is considered one of the most sacred sites by Buddhists on a Buddhist pilgrimage circuit in India. While both Bodhgaya and Lumbini are renowned Buddhist pilgrimage centers that are listed as WHSs and attract millions of visitors, the same cannot be said of Sarnath and Kushinagar [7]. This paper aims to examine the trajectory of Sarnath's development as a Buddhist pilgrimage center and what could being listed as a WHS means for its future.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Still on UNESCO’s “Tentative List of World Heritage”? Heritage, Tourism, and Stunted Growth in Sarnath (Varanasi), India

Shinde

Singh

2023

It is not unusual for a place to wait for years before being inscribed on the World Heritage List, but Sarnath—the place where the Buddha delivered his first sermon—has been on UNESCO’s “tentative list” for close to 25 years. As a sacred place for Buddhist pilgrimages, Sarnath continues to attract thousands of visitors annually and yet, remains under-developed, unlike other pilgrim towns or religious tourism destinations. This paper examines the reasons for the stunted growth of Sarnath. The findings are based on fieldwork conducted in Sarnath in 2019. The analysis of stakeholder interviews suggests several reasons for Sarnath not being able to capitalize on its religious and cultural heritage for tourism-led development. It was found that the protection of the site as an archaeological park by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which has been controlling development surrounding the park as well as prohibiting the performance of any rituals, have been the key endogenous factors that have contributed to the relative under-development of a Buddhist pilgrimage economy in the town. A handful of monasteries are where Buddhist followers stay and perform their pilgrimage rituals, rendering them as enclaves. Private-sector accommodation is also limited to around 15 hotels and guesthouses. Administratively, Sarnath does not have an independent governance structure. It is governed as just one ward (an electoral constituency) by the Municipal Corporation of Varanasi and is, thus, always under the shadow of Varanasi city. Varanasi is one of the most significant Hindu sacred cities and, hence, visitors stay there for much longer durations to soak in cultural offerings, including religious ceremonies around the Ganga River; a visit to Sarnath is secondary and often limited to a half-day tour. Moreover, the archaeological park at Sarnath serves a recreational purpose as a picnic site for domestic visitors. The exogenous factors mean that the interests of Sarnath (as a Buddhist site) are hardly acknowledged by the Hindu city of Varanasi. This paper argues that the multi-layered contestations that exist at the site level, the town–ward level, and between visitors and managers have further contributed to the poor state of heritage and tourism in Sarnath.