Exploring Sustainable Attitudes Towards Place Marketing and At Religious and Pilgrimage Tourism: A Conceptual Research on The Way of Saint James

Bruno Barbosa SOUSA and Francisco Barbosa GONÇALVES

1 Centro de Investigação, Desenvolvimento e Inovação em Turismo (CiTUR), Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave (IPCA), Portugal

2 Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave (IPCA), Portugal

Abstract

In recent years, discussion on sustainable attitudes with religious and pilgrimage has started to increase in tourism research. Santiago de Compostela (Galicia, Spain) is one of the main pilgrimage destinations.  However, a small number of studies have been discussing the important phenomenon of place attachment in relation to pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors in religious and pilgrimage tourism contexts. This study discusses place attachment and pro-environmental behaviors toward specific pilgrimage or religious contexts. Although the manuscript is designed from an exploratory and preliminary perspective, the authors present a conceptual model that can be empirically tested. At the same time, a qualitative study can be developed (with in-depth interviews and focus groups) in a complementary logic. From an interdisciplinary perspective, the manuscript presents insights for tourism (religious and sustainable) and for regional and local development. At the end, final considerations and future paths are discussed.

Keywords: Pilgrimage Tourism; Place Marketing; Sustainability; The Way Of Saint James
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