The management and marketing of religious sites, pilgrimage and religious events: challenges for Roman Catholic pilgrimages in Croatia.

Teaching Truth in Third Space': The Use of History as a Pedagogical Instrument at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah

“…In addition, this blurring of religious and tourism space (Kaelber 2006) has been viewed by some researchers as problematic, as current management practices at many religious heritage sites are viewed as being antiquated and not sufficient to handle the increasing negative effects of tourism at these sites (e.g., Pavicic et al 2007;Shackley 2001a;Stevens 1988;see Olsen 2009 for a more complete discussion). As such, a small literature has emerged on management issues at religious heritage sites such as managing visitor flows, experiences, and impacts such as vandalism, noise pollution, erosion and theft, and visitors' willingness to pay (e.g., Bremer 2004Bremer , 2006Digance 2003;Olsen 2006a;Pavicic et al 2007;Shackley1996,1999Shackley1996, ,2001aShackley1996, ,2001bShackley1996, ,2002Shackley1996, ,2003Shackley1996, ,2006aShackley1996, ,2006bStevens 1998;Willis 1994;Winter and Casson 1996;Woodward 2004).…”

“The strangers within our gates”: managing visitors at Temple Square

“…Griffin 1994;Willis 1994;Winter and Gasson 1996;Shackley 1998Shackley , 2001aShackley , 2001bShackley , 2002Shackley , 2003Shackley , 2005Shackley , 2006bStevens 1998;Bremer 2001aBremer , 2005Bremer , 2006Digance 2003;Woodward 2004;D. Olsen 2006;Pavicic et al 2007). With the exception of Shackley (2001a) and Shani et al (2007), few researchers have examined the tourism-related organizational and operational strategies of religious organizations who receive tourists to their sacred sites.…”

“…At the same time, many religious organizations and site mangers are beginning to implement systematic management strategies to increase both their income and enhance the visitor experience (Askew 1997;Shackley 1996Shackley , 2001aShackley , 2005Shackley , 2006aMcGettigan and Burns 2001;Pavicic et al 2007). The Temple Square case study that follows outlines an instance where the organizational and operational management of this religious site has been transformed from a site with no management to a highly structured and organized management approach to tourism in the short space of just over a century.…”

“…This belief comes from the view that religious site managers do not understand their clientele well; that they "have theories about visitors' interests and motivations" which "appear to be based on subjective impressions rather than empirical research" (Cameron and Gatewood 2003, p. 56). While religious site managers might do well with handling the religious aspects of religious sites, with the influx of tourists to these sites, the argument is made that because of the lack of adequate funding and tourism management know-how, modern religious site managers should adopt a more business-like approach to both their current site management practices and modern tourism management techniques in their daily management of visitors to their religious sites (Shackley 2001a(Shackley , 2005Pavicic et al 2007). In taking a more business-like approach, religious site managers should address the issues of identifying their target market whose wants and needs should be served, deciding on the products and services that should be offered to their potential target market, initiating promotion of the site to potential and existing clients, and focusing on a pricing/fundraising approach (Pavicic et al 2007, p. 57).…”

“…In particular, these concerns coalesce around two specific issues: (1) the lack of financing available to religious organizations; and (2) the lack of tourism management expertise amongst many religious site managers. Because of these concerns, it has been suggested that religious managers take an approach to site management and interpretation which focuses on a more business-like approach to managing tourism, with an emphasis on fundraising and catering to visitor wants, rather than accomplishing their own organizational and theological goals (Pavicic et al 2007).…”