Colm O'Leary. Thesis

Irish People and Pilgrimage?
‘What factors influence the pilgrimage preferences of Irish tourists?’
Colm O’Leary
A dissertation presented is a partial fulfilment of the requirements for B.Sc. in
Tourism Marketing
Presented to: School Of Hospitality and Tourism Management
Dublin Institute of Technology
Cathal Brugha Street
Submitted to:
Dr Kevin Griffin
August 2014

Declaration
I certify that this dissertation which I now submit for examination for the award of B.Sc. in
Tourism Marketing is entirely my own work and has not been extracted from the work of
others save and to the extent that such work has been cited and acknowledged within the text
of my work. This thesis was prepared in accordance to the regulations of the Dublin Institute
of Technology and has not been submitted in whole or in part for an award in any other
Institute or University.
The institute has permission to keep, to lend or to copy this thesis in whole or in part, on
condition that any such use of the material of the dissertation be duly acknowledged.
Signed: _____________________________ Date: _____________________
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Abstract
Religious tourism is a largely under-researched subset of the general tourist market and little
is known about the underlying motivations of religious tourists and pilgrims. The present
study attempted to gain an insight into the psychology of Irish overseas pilgrims, and also
aimed to identify factors which influence destination choice. In this mix-methods study,
seventy-five participants completed a questionnaire based on the experience of their most
recent pilgrimage. Lourdes emerged as the chief religious destination preference of
participants, with the Camino de Santiago in second place. Underlying motivations included
tradition and familiarity, as well as consumer concerns with price and hospitality provision.
Age also emerged as an interesting factor determining destination choice and expectations.
This study has implications for future research, which might focus on religious destinations
as attractions in their own right, rather than as pilgrimage destinations specifically.
iii

Acknowledgements
To begin I would like to thank my supervisor, Dr. Kevin Griffin, whose help and assistance
guided me along the way. In addition to this I would also like to pay special tribute to Louise
Bellew who continuously helped and supported me through difficult times.
Secondly, I would like to thank my family in Wexford and also those in Dublin who stood
by me and gave me great strength through days and nights of great difficulty over the past
two years. Days like this prove that there is always light at the end of the tunnel.
Thirdly, I would like to pay tribute to all the staff at St. James‟ Hospital, who cared and
continue to care for me as I continue on my road to recovery.
Finally, I would like to say thank my close friends who kept me entertained, humoured me
and offered all the support that they could in recent times.
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Contents
Chapter 1...................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................2
1.2 Research Rationale .............................................................................................................2
1.3 Main Objectives..................................................................................................................3
1.3.1 Research question..................................................................................................................... 3
1.3.2 Research Objectives................................................................................................................. 3
1.4 Chapter outline ...................................................................................................................3
1.4.1 Chapter 1: Introduction ............................................................................................................ 3
1.4.2 Chapter 2: Literature Review................................................................................................... 3
1.4.3 Chapter 3: Methodology .......................................................................................................... 3
1.4.4 Chapter 4: Presentation of Results ........................................................................................... 3
1.4.5 Chapter 5: Interpretation, Analysis & Discussion.................................................................... 4
1.4.6 Chapter 6: Conclusions & Recommendations.......................................................................... 4
Chapter 2...................................................................................................................................5
2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................6
2.2 Tourism...............................................................................................................................8
2.3 Religion ............................................................................................................................10
2.4 Religious Tourism ............................................................................................................12
2.4.1 Background of Religious Tourism......................................................................................... 12
2.4.2 What is Religious Tourism?................................................................................................... 13
2.4.2.1 Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage.................................................................................. 14
2.4.3 Consumer Behaviour.............................................................................................................. 15
2.4.4 Motivation.............................................................................................................................. 16
2.4.5 Issues with Religious Tourism............................................................................................... 17
2.5 Conclusion........................................................................................................................19
Chapter 3.................................................................................................................................20
3.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................21
3.1.1 Research Question.................................................................................................................. 21
3.1.2 Objectives............................................................................................................................... 21
3.2 Participants .......................................................................................................................22
3.3 Materials ...........................................................................................................................22
3.4 Reliability and validity .....................................................................................................22
3.5 Measures...........................................................................................................................23
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3.6 Procedure..........................................................................................................................23
3.6.1 Pilot ........................................................................................................................................ 23
3.6.2 Data Collection....................................................................................................................... 24
3.6.3 Data Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 24
3.7 Conclusion........................................................................................................................25
Chapter 4.................................................................................................................................26
4.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................27
4.2 Demographic breakdown..................................................................................................27
4.2.1 Age......................................................................................................................................... 27
4.2.2 Employment status................................................................................................................. 28
4.2.3 Religiosity .............................................................................................................................. 29
4.3 The destination of choice..................................................................................................29
4.4 Factors influencing destination preference.......................................................................30
4.4.1 Budget .................................................................................................................................... 31
4.4.2 Other influencing factors........................................................................................................ 32
4.5 Deterring factors...............................................................................................................32
4.6 Conclusion........................................................................................................................33
Chapter 5.................................................................................................................................34
5.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................35
5.2 Evaluation of the findings in relation to the research question ........................................36
5.3 Strengths of the Study.......................................................................................................43
5.4 Limitations and Weaknesses ............................................................................................43
5.5 Conclusion........................................................................................................................44
Chapter 6.................................................................................................................................45
6.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................46
6.2 Concluding thoughts and future research .........................................................................47
6.3 Conclusion........................................................................................................................47
References ..............................................................................................................................48
Appendix I..............................................................................................................................55
Appendix II.............................................................................................................................61
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List of Figures
Figure 2.4.4 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Figure 4.2.1 Age of participants
Figure 4.2.2 Participants’ current employment status
Figure 4.2.3 Religiosity
Figure 4.3 A breakdown of most recently visited religious destination
Figure 4.4 Participants’ travelling group
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Abbreviations
CMIL. – International Medical Committee of Lourdes
CSO. – Central Statistics Office
CTO. – Cyprus Tourism Organisation
Et al. – And others
Ibid. – In the same work
IEC. – Eucharistic Congress to Dublin
ITIC. – Irish Tourist Industry Confederation
viii

2
1.1 Introduction
‘If a tourist is half a pilgrim, then a pilgrim is half a tourist’
(Smith, 1992, p.1)
Ireland‟s emergence from the depths of an economic downturn has been greatly accelerated
by a number of factors – most notably, the country‟s exit from the European Monetary Fund
bailout in December, 2013 (Mayer, 2013). Together with a steady growth in employment
(Burke-Kennedy, 2014), and in the context of ever-present competitive low-cost airline
services (Thomas, 2013), travelling abroad on holiday has again become as popular a
phenomenon as it was in the halcyon years of the Celtic Tiger. In view of this, the tourism
sub-sector of religious tourism or pilgrimage is a niche market, which remains a poorly-
researched entity. This is surprising, given that the vast majority of the population of Ireland
identify as Roman Catholic (CSO, 2012). It seems reasonable, therefore to suggest that
further examination of this sub-sector is warranted
The primary aim of the present study was to explore the views and opinions of Irish
overseas pilgrims. Specifically, the study focused on the most frequented religious tourism
destinations, and the factors influencing preference. Research was carried out in the form of
questionnaire, which allowed for both quantitative and qualitative analyses.
1.2 Research Rationale
Having taken account of the deficit in the research literature in regard to Irish religious
tourism, and in view of the increased number of Irish citizens who choose to holiday abroad,
it was felt that a focus on modern-day overseas pilgrimage was justified.

3
1.3 Main Objectives
1.3.1 Research question
1.3.2 Research Objectives
 To identify the pilgrimage destinations most frequented by Irish tourists.
 To examine the factors which influence destination preference.
 To examine those factors which deter tourists.
1.4 Chapter outline
1.4.1 Chapter 1: Introduction
This introductory chapter will introduce the general themes of the dissertation and a brief
overview of the topic of Irish pilgrimage will be provided.
1.4.2 Chapter 2: Literature Review
This chapter will provide a review of the pre-existing literature on the research topic and
provide a contextual framework for the formulation of a specific research question.
1.4.3 Chapter 3: Methodology
This chapter will outline the research methods employed as part of the study.
1.4.4 Chapter 4: Presentation of Results
This chapter will present the study‟s findings, both quantitative and qualitative.

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1.4.5 Chapter 5: Interpretation, Analysis & Discussion
This chapter will provide an interpretation of the results and draw out point for discussion, in
the context of the pre-existing literature.
1.4.6 Chapter 6: Conclusions & Recommendations
This final chapter will discuss limitations of the study and will provide recommendations for
future research as well as concluding comments.

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2.1 Introduction
Ireland has long been flagged as a growing tourist market. The past decade has not only
witnessed a surge in the numbers of visitors to Ireland, but also our domestic markets have
flourished (ITIC, 2010). Even with the backdrop of an economic crisis, cheap charter flights
from carriers such as Ryanair mean that going overseas on a holiday is not deemed the
luxury it once was and many households go on more than one trip abroad in a year (Lyons,
Mayor and Tol, 2009).
Although a lot is known about general tourist trends to and from Ireland, far less is known
about religious tourism, which is surprising when one looks at the most recent 2011 CSO
figures. The census count in 2011 showed that out of a population of just over four and half
million people, 3.8 million listed themselves as Roman Catholic (CSO, 2012) suggesting that
Ireland still remains a country in which religion is considered a significant component of
identity. With this in mind, it is felt that there is a very viable market for religious tourism
within the country.
This chapter will critically review the existing body of academic literature with reference to
the concepts of tourism and religion and will focus in particular on the area of religious
tourism. The study intends to provide sufficient background information and to elucidate the
contextual factors with regard to the above areas in order to facilitate a clear understanding
of the specific research interest - Irish religious tourism.
Firstly, tourism in general will be examined in the context of the existing literature. An
explanation and rationale will be offered in regard to why people travel, what tourism entails
and what a tourist actually is. Secondly, understandings of religion and its practice will be
investigated with a view to accessing the thinking behind the concept of religious tourism.
Thirdly, religious tourism itself will be examined. Questions such as „what is religious
tourism?‟, „what does it entail‟ and „how does it operate‟ will be addressed. A brief review of

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the existing literature on current trends and dynamics in the area of religious tourism will
also be provided. Finally, in the context of the relevant literature, the idea of pilgrimage will
be compared to the above concept of religious tourism with a view to examining whether or
not they are one and the same thing or indeed two distinct entities. In addition, the
interrelationship between the above concepts and the Irish tourism context will be explored.
This review will conclude with a statement of the specific research question and set out the
research objectives.

8
2.2 Tourism
A clear unambiguous definition of tourism seems to be somewhat elusive as all tourism
involves travel, but at the same time, all travel is not tourism (Mill and Morrison, 1985).
Lavery (1996, p.1), further testifies to the level of complexity implied in this term by stating
that a tourist is:
‘Any person(s) travelling for a period of twenty four hours or more in a country other than
that of which he or she resides in for the purpose of leisure, business, family and friends’.
Added to this is the term „excursionist‟, used to refer to people staying less than twenty four
hours in the country visited.
Lickorish (1958) describes tourism as the temporary, short-term movement of people to
destinations outside places where they normally reside. However, this definition falls short in
that it is too flaccid. Lickorish (1958) continues to state that tourism is a short-term
movement, but the question arises as to what is short-term and what governs it. The latter
notion seems to be explained by Smith (1995), who defines tourism as the set of activities of
a person travelling to a place outside his or her usual environment for less than a year, whose
main purpose of travel is other than the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the
place visited.
Thus far the majority of theories relating to the basic meaning of tourism have revolved
around the idea of a person travelling to an area other than the one in which he or she
lives/works for more than twenty four hours and less than one year for the purpose of leisure,
business or visiting. Further to the above definition, Wall and Mathieson (2006) have
included the notion of the facilities which are created and the services which are provided to
cater to the needs of a tourist.

9
Finally, Pearce (1989), addressing the apparent contradictions inherent in attempts to define
the concept of tourism, argues that most of the confusion relates to the element of leisure and
what types of leisure activities should be included under the notion of tourism. Pearce (1989)
best explains this by suggesting that in a geographical sense, a basic distinction between
other forms of leisure and tourism is the actual travel component attributed to tourism. He
offers what appears to be a simple and very useful conceptual framework by claiming that
tourism,
‘may be thought of as the relationships and phenomena arising out of the journeys and
temporary stays of people travelling primarily for leisure or recreational purposes’ (Pearce,
1989, p.1).

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2.3 Religion
To combine the modern socio-economic institution of tourism and religion, it is crucial to
evaluate the position that religion holds in modern society. In other words, to understand the
link between religion and tourism it is necessary to gain an understanding of religion itself
(Jamal and Robinson, 2009). Religion itself is very difficult to comprehend and almost
impossible to define, and thus Sherratt and Hawkins (1972) argue for a simple working
concept, and the need to achieve a balance between definitions.
According to Bataille (1989), religion is the search for a lost intimacy, whereas Durkheim
(1947) suggests that it is a unified system consisting of beliefs and practices relative to
sacred things. Macomb and Thompson (2003, p. 15) state that religion can be defined as an
„organised system of beliefs, rites, and celebrations centred on divine power‟. Assael (1995,
p.502) supports this definition and in addition suggests that religion is made up of followers
and states that these followers „practise traditions and customs tied to their beliefs and passed
on from one generation to the next‟. It has been suggested by various authors that religion
„incorporates certain practices and behaviours‟ (Kirkwood, 2005, p.2), along with „norms
and values‟ (Antonides and Raajj, 1998, p.32) and „provides tradition and order‟ (Macomb
and Thompson, 2003, p.15).
Idinopulos and Wilson (1998) explore the significance that religion has in the world and
examine its functions. They state that religion can hold the ultimate significance of one‟s
place in the world and that it can be understood as an orientation to reality. This, in turn,
hosts a number of psychological, social, aesthetic and moral functions. Banton (2004)
elaborates this thought and concludes that if you base religion on the above assumption, it is
a cultural institution. He concludes that religion can be defined as „an institution consisting
of culturally patterned interaction with culturally postulated superhuman beings‟ (Banton,
2004, p. 96).

11
Jamal & Roninson (2009) claim that almost all of those who follow some type of religion
believe that a divine power has created their world and influences their lives within this
world. The view that religion influences peoples lives and life choices is strongly supported
by Bandyopadhyay, Morais and Chick (2008), who examined how powerful religion can be
within a country and its institutions. Selecting India as a basis for their study, they found that
religion makes itself appear as a habit of the heart and thus as the core of any community‟s
identity.
In India, religion permeates of the country‟s functioning. It is an integral part of the nation
and pervades every aspect of life from daily chores to education. Religion also plays a vital
role in the politics of India. This example can also be applied to Northern Ireland, where the
two main political parties (Sinn Fein and Democratic Unionist Party) support different forms
of religion – Roman Catholicism and Protestantism – from distinctly Nationalist and
Unionist points of view. Rea (1996, p.32) supports this view, stating that „there are two
identities and two political aspirations in Northern Ireland‟, and with this in turn come two
types of religion. Does this then mean that as there are two types of religion, that there are or
should be two types of religious tourism? This is just one of the many questions that can
arise from the study of religious tourism which, in view of the findings outlined above, can
be seen as a key socio-cultural and economic phenomenon.

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2.4 Religious Tourism
2.4.1 Background of Religious Tourism
Recent trends in tourism have highlighted an increase in city-break holidays. For example,
figures show that European city tourism grew by 20% in 2005 (Dunne, Buckley and
Flanagan, 2010). This continued growth has stimulated the rise in special interest and
activity based travel as a niche market (Lavery, 1996). Religious tourism is viewed
somewhat as a subset of special interest holiday, as it is a market which can be seen to hold
huge potential, but at the same time, it is a market which is somewhat undefined. Lavery
(1996) states that religious tourism is travelling for the purpose of religion and that it is a
form of travel which tends to be grouped among the miscellaneous forms of tourism, falling
outside the central purposes of leisure or business.
The popularity of religious tourism in Ireland is in no way surprising given the country‟s
strong Christian history. This history also impacts upon choices of religious tourism
destinations, such as Lourdes in the south of France. This may provide an explanation for the
fact that 50,000 Irish citizens travel to Lourdes annually – a number which increases yearly
(Griffin, 2007). Interestingly, a report detailing the origins of the French destination states
that Ireland was in fact one of the joining members of the International Medical Committee
of Lourdes (CMIL) back in 1954. The CMIL was set up to oversee the running of medical
care at the destination and to decide on which pilgrims from each member state was sick or
curable enough to benefit from visiting Lourdes. All members of this committee at the time
were practising Catholics, many of whom worked or had experience of working in the
Health service. This also strengthened Irish people‟s belief in Lourdes, given that the vast
majority of institutions in Ireland, from medicine to education and training, were run by
members of the Catholic Church (Dowling, 1984).

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2.4.2 What is Religious Tourism?
Murphy (1985) described religious tourists as elite travellers, who have little impact upon
indigenous cultures, travelling in small numbers that require very little in the way of special
accommodation. Murphy (1985) stated that they have a desire to gain insight into the local
customs of a destination, which is aided by a sympathetic attitude to the local way of life.
Jamal and Robinson (2009) explain that over time religious tourism as a market has evolved
into a significant, increasingly diverse and continually growing sector of the overall tourism
product. Rawlinson (2012) supports this and claims that religious tourism is a significant and
rapidly growing segment within the tourism industry. Rawlinson (2012) then elaborates on
the various types of religious tourism and its meaning, stating that it is often referred to as
faith tourism, faith-based travel, Christian travel or Muslim travel, for example. Rawlinson
(2012) claims that regardless of its name, the inference is that this is a form of tourism that is
driven by a given faith.
Rawlinson (2005) summarises the chief determinants of religious tourism as follows:
 a drive from consumers for more authentic experience, such as immersing themselves
in the spiritual and cultural traditions associated with specific religions and
pilgrimage sites
 the emergence of a more diverse tourist product as national tourist boards and
tourism providers seek to extend the traditional tourist season
 an increasing number of travel agents offering religious tourism, pilgrimages and
church tours
 a global culture where people seek more unusual holidays or more diversification
within a trip

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Bywater (1994) supports these claims and explains that religious tourism represents a steady
business which is holding its own thanks to strong expansion from South- and East-
European markets. Bywater (1994) claims that although the practice of the Christian religion
may be in decline, most tourists who do any sightseeing visit churches, for example, Notre
Dame in Paris is the most visited tourist attraction in Europe with an annual 12 million
visitors. This claim is supported by Griffin (2007), who stated that despite the fact that
religion itself is being eroded, religious sites have become increasingly popular.
Sharpley and Jepson (2011) approach the topic of religious tourism from a different angle by
examining the spiritual dimension of contemporary tourism. They state that religious tourism
has long been the focus of academic study, examined from two distinct perspectives.
Explaining the first of these perspectives, they cite the significant attention paid to religious
tourism, whose participants, as the authors suggest, are motivated either in part or
exclusively for religious reasons. The other perspective reflects the importance of
pilgrimage, recognising it as one of the oldest forms of tourism (Sharpley and Jepson, 2011).
It is clear from the above that particular significance has been attributed to the phenomenon
of pilgrimage, a concept which some authors suggest is tied into religious tourism, although
not one and the same thing. This anomaly will be examined in the following section.
2.4.2.1 Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage
Leppakari (2008) explores the debate surrounding the distinction between religious tourism
and pilgrimage, arguing that the distinction between them is how the two distinct sets of
people in question behave. Leppakari (2008) stipulates that pilgrims make the journey a
ritual experience, which can be created by chanting or reciting religious songs at critical
moments. By contrast, religious tourists do not necessarily engage in ritual behaviours and
do not equate travelling to a sacred site with being a pilgrim.

15
Bywater (1994) also examines this distinction, explaining that tourists in general are
motivated to visit destinations which have important connections with Christianity. Bywater
(1994) further emphasises that these tourists make up a significant sub-sector of the travel
market in Europe and argued that this sector can be split into two categories: 1) tourists
whose prime purpose is the religious experience i.e. pilgrims; and 2) the potentially far larger
group of tourists, whose major motivation is the religious heritage, i.e. religious tourists.
Both authors attempted to argue that religious tourism differs from pilgrimage. However,
neither one convincingly established the case for them to be seen as separate entities, as they
confine their endeavours to an analysis of motivation and behaviour.
As discussed above, many authors differ in their understanding of what respectively
constitutes religious tourists and pilgrims, some claiming that they are a homogenous set
who share almost identical characteristics. It follows, thus, that many individuals who may
not regard themselves as being religious can in fact be seen to be taking part in pilgrimages.
This is noted by Lopez (2013) who stated that an increasing use of the word „pilgrimage‟ in
a secular context must now lead to a re-evaluation of the geo-cultural demographics of
pilgrims and an examination of how pilgrimage experiences are now changing. It follows,
thus, that there is a need to examine the underlying motivations and goals of modern day
pilgrims more closely.
2.4.3 Consumer Behaviour
Schiffman and Kanuk (2009, p. 23) defined consumer behaviour as
‘The behaviour that consumers display in searching for, purchasing, using, evaluating and
disposing of products and services that they expect will satisfy their needs’.
Similarly, Blackwell, Miniard and Engel (2001, p.6) define it as the „activities people
undertake when obtaining, consuming, and disposing of products and services.‟

16
Dunne (2009) noted that the term denotes how people make decisions to spend their
available resources, such as time, money and effort on consumption-related items.
Swarbrooke and Horner (1999) argue that having a basic level of knowledge regarding
consumer psychology is crucial in defining the success of tourism destinations.
2.4.4 Motivation
Maslow (1943) proposed a hierarchy of human needs comprising; self- actualisation, esteem,
social, safety and physiological motivational needs which can be seen in figure 2.4.4 below.
Evidence increasingly shows that as Maslow claimed motivations of human behaviour -
including travel - are underpinned by this hierarchy of needs.
(Maslow‟s Hierarchy of needs, 1943, adapted from Simply Psychology)
Pearce, Morrison and Rutledge (1998) define tourism motivation as an integrated global
network consisting of cultural and biological factors, which add value and direction to a
traveller‟s behaviour and choices. In keeping with this, O‟Leary and Deegan (2005) stated
that a tourist‟s motivation stems from a combination of desires and needs that influence the
tendency to travel.

17
When examining these needs Griffin and Faris (2012) found that after compiling a report on
visitors to Dublin for the Eucharistic Congress (IEC) in 2012, the visitors opinion was that
they wanted a lot from the conference, but at the same time these demands where realistic
which in turn suggests that they are a realistic target audience in a realistic market.
Hence, motivation can be seen as the factor influencing a person‟s choice of destination in
numerous ways. Motivation in the context of tourism thus answers the question of what
stimulates a person to travel.
2.4.5 Issues with Religious Tourism
One of the main problems associated with religious tourism (including pilgrimages) is that it
is very hard to measure. Jackson and Hudman (1995) used visiting English Cathedrals as a
case study. They found that it was unclear how many people visiting English cathedrals were
visiting primarily for the purpose of religious observance or for solely as tourists. They also
discovered that the extent to which the motivation for tourists‟ visits to cathedrals reflects
religion was equally unclear. (Jackson and Hudman, 1995)
Rawlinson (2012) also claimed that as a sector, religious tourism is not properly researched
and documented. According to Rawlinson (2012), few reliable statistics are available
regarding its size and value within the tourism sector as a whole. Rawlinson (2012) argued
that this is so because only a few countries actually measure tourist arrivals using a
classification that refers to religion or pilgrimage. For that reason, most religious tourists are
combined with „other leisure‟ visitors or, as previously mentioned, they are labelled under
the special interest category. Interestingly, Griffin (2007) suggested that the neglect in the
classification of religious tourism may be attributable to the fact that spiritual meaning is
often viewed as unfashionable or backward.

18
Religious tourism not only suffers due a lack of academic literature, but also from significant
shortcomings in the hospitality industry. Weidenfeld (2006) highlighted this issue when
explaining that Hoteliers go to great lengths to ensure that their rooms are clean, modern and
up to the expected standard, but yet rarely go further to tailor the rooms to the needs of any
specific tourist population. For instance, Weidenfeld (2006, p.144) stated that „it is quite rare
to find hotels that accommodate the special needs of religious tourists of any faith‟. These
needs may range from certain food restrictions for members of the Jewish faith to providing
foot wash basins for members of the Muslim faith.
Given the large number of people who practice religion, it is surprising that so little research
has been carried out in the area of religious tourism. The Cyprus Tourism Organisation
(CTO) reported that religious tourism attractions alone can fall under three headings:
pilgrimage shrines, religious space and religious festivals (CTO, 2006). All three sectors
have the potential to pull in substantial income-generating tourists given the wide range of
individuals involved in such pursuits. Collins-Kreiner (2010) reported that pilgrimage itself
is one of the oldest forms of travel
‘…known to human society, and its political, social, cultural and economic implications
have and always will be substantial to the world’ (Collins-Kreiner, 2010, p.440).
Based on the fact that religious tourism appears to hold rich unharnessed potential, it would
seem necessary and worthwhile to examine the underlying psychology of religious tourists
and to shed light on the factors which motivate them to travel on pilgrimages.

19
2.5 Conclusion
This chapter has explored the literature relevant to the concepts of tourism, religion and
religious tourism. It has revealed a deficit in research on the latter. The present study thus
intends to extend the existing literature on this subject and, accordingly, the following
research question and objectives will be addressed: What factors influence the pilgrimage
preferences of Irish tourists? Furthermore, the objectives of the study are to identify the
pilgrimage destination most frequented by Irish tourists, to examine the factors which
influence destination preference and to examine those factors which deter tourists.

20
Chapter 3
Research Methodology

21
3.1 Introduction
The following methodological approach was adopted in order to address the primary
research question of the study – What are the factors influencing the pilgrimage preferences
of Irish tourists? – and its attendant objectives – to identify the most frequented pilgrimage
destinations chosen by Irish tourists, to examine the factors which influence destination
preference, and to explore why certain destinations are chosen over others (deterring
factors).
3.1.1 Research Question
3.1.2 Objectives
 To identify the pilgrimage destination most frequented by Irish tourists.
 To examine the factors which influence destination preference.
 To examine those factors which deter tourists.

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3.2 Participants
Over one hundred individuals aged 18 or above, who had previously been on an overseas
pilgrimage were approached and invited to participate in the study. Given that religious
tourism is a specialist niche, the study targeted a deliberate, rather than random sample of the
population. A final sample of 75 people agreed to participate and of those 75, there was a
100% response rate. More than half of the respondents were practicing members of the
Catholic Church.
3.3 Materials
Participants were presented with a hard copy questionnaire (See Appendix 1). Data was
compiled, coded and analysed using SPSS version 21.
3.4 Reliability and validity
When undertaking any authentic research, it is important to be mindful of reliability and
validity. In the case of quantitative research, all measures used must be well-designed and
flow in a logical sequence. The goal of a questionnaire is to accurately record a participants‟
experience in an unbiased, naturalistic manner. As will be outlined below, the measure used
in the present study was designed to take account of reliability and validity. In terms of
reliability, the questionnaire allowed a quantitative comparison based on questions with
Likert-like structure, yet qualitative elements were incorporated by certain open-ended
questions (Braun and Clarke, 2006). External validity refers to the generalizability of a piece
of research. Although the results are of the present study may not be representative of the
Irish tourist population as a whole, they certainly represent the niche population, i.e.
religious tourists/pilgrims, which was the target group of this study.

23
3.5 Measures
Having conducted a thorough review of the pre-existing literature, it was decided that a
primarily quantitative approach would be utilised in order to allow for a more objective
analysis. Hence, data was collected by employing a questionnaire measure. This research
tool was deemed the most appropriate and advantageous given their flexible, confidential
and economical/cost effective nature (Denscombe, 2007). In the interest of objectivity, the
questionnaire method has been previously found to provide a rich exploration of experience
and opinion that is not led or influenced by the researcher (Bryman, 2012; Denscombe,
2010). Participants were provided with hard copies of the questionnaire, as it was thought
that this would encourage a higher response rate and richer feedback.
The 28-item questionnaire was created, based on various pre-existing formats, Lien (2010)
for example was explored. The 28 questions were clustered under five global headings: Your
experience of pilgrimage; What you look for in a religious tour package; Planning and
decision making; Travel/transport and pilgrimage; and Personal details. A number closed
questions were asked in order to reduce the time needed to complete the questionnaire and,
hence, to promote participation. Open questions allowed for a richer, more subjective and
qualitative response.
3.6 Procedure
3.6.1 Pilot
A pilot study was conducted in order to evaluate the feasibility and practicability of the
questionnaire and its distribution. The pilot also aimed to elicit information regarding the
suitability of wording, the length of the questionnaire and, in the interest of research ethics,
to determine whether respondents found it invasive. The pilot questionnaire was distributed

24
to ten individuals, each considered representative of the given demographic/population –
members of a religious order, students and practicing Catholics.
The results of the pilot study were quite useful. Many participants found that certain
questions were worded in an ambiguous manner. One question in particular – What is your
age? – was deemed inappropriately direct and invasive, and, hence, in view of ethical
considerations, was reconstructed to a measure of age brackets. Based on the feedback,
changes were accordingly made and the questionnaire was restructured as required.
Furthermore, a filter statement was added at the beginning of the questionnaire in order to
ensure that all respondents fitted the given criteria – i.e. had previously undertaken an Irish
overseas pilgrimage.
3.6.2 Data Collection
Questionnaires were distributed and collected manually to each of the 75 participants. Prior
to their agreeing to participate in the study, and again, prior to the completion of the
questionnaire, participants were informed that they could withdraw from the study at any
point with no penalty, should they wish. Participants were also provided with contact details
for both the primary researcher and the study‟s supervisor. Finally, participants were
reassured that confidentiality and anonymity would be preserved. Data was filed and stored
in a locked filing cabinet in accordance with the Data Protection Act (2003).
3.6.3 Data Analysis
Data was input into SPSS, sorted and then coded. Descriptive statistics were employed to
allow for a basic overview of trends in the dataset. Results of the analyses will be presented
and discussed in the ensuing chapters.

25
3.7 Conclusion
This chapter provided the rationale for the research question and subsequent objectives
which drive this study. As is stated by Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2003) there is great
value to be added by clearly stating research objectives as doing so will lead to greater
specificity. In addition to this, Simmons (2009) warns that research objectives also need to
realistic and feasible to research in the time available. Bearing such factors in mind, the
research objectives and questions of this study were devised to incorporate such issues.
The samples participants, materials, measures and the procedures techniques were all
justified and evaluated bearing in mind the methodologies of previous researchers in this
area. The main findings of the research will be presented and discussed in the following
chapter.

26
Chapter 4
Presentation of Results

27
4.1 Introduction
The present study set out to examine the factors influencing the pilgrimage preferences of
Irish tourists. Furthermore, the study aimed to identify the most frequented pilgrimage
destinations chosen by study participants, to examine the factors which influence destination
preference, and to explore which factors deterred respondents from certain destinations. An
analysis of frequencies provided a demographic breakdown of participants and highlighted
trends in destination choice. Factors which influenced destination choice – incentives and
deterrents – were also examined and will be presented below.
4.2 Demographic breakdown
4.2.1 Age
Figure 4.2.1 below provides a breakdown of participant age. Due to the pre-determined
nature of the study‟s sampling process, the majority of participants fell into the 65+ bracket,
with a relatively even distribution across the other age brackets.
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
24 Younger 24-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65 Plus
Age of Participants

28
4.2.2 Employment status
Descriptive statistics provided a breakdown of participants‟ current employment status.
Figure 4.2.2 below provides a visual breakdown of participants‟ employment status. Just
under half of the sample (31 participants) described themselves as retired, which, again may
reflect the age-bias of the study. The four participants who chose „Other‟ noted that they
were members of the clergy.
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Current Employment Status

29
4.2.3 Religiosity
Religiosity was measured by enquiring how often participants worshipped. As evident in
figure 4.2.3 below, almost half of the study‟s participants (thirty-five participants; 47%)
stated that they worship every day. Only 18% of the sample reported less frequent worship
(once every two weeks or less).
4.3 The destination of choice
Lourdes emerged as the most popular destination, with twenty-six of the seventy-five study
participants (37%) listing it as the destination they had visited most recently. The Way of St.
James (Camino de Santiago) was the most recently chosen destination of eleven of the
study‟s participants (15%). Figure 4.3 below provides a more detailed breakdown of
destination choice. Six participants had not recently travelled to any of the listed
destinations. Their chosen destinations were considerably less well-known and included a
10
3
1
12
14
35
I rarely worship
Once a month
Once every two weeks
Once a week
More than once a
week
Every day

30
trip to Madrid for World Youth day and a trip to the Steps of St. Paul in Turkey. It may be
worth noting that these respondents fell into the younger age bracket.
4.4 Factors influencing destination preference
The second objective of the present research was to identify the main factors influencing
destination preferences. A significant number of participants (21 of the entire sample) stated
that they usually return to the same destination on every pilgrimage. These individuals enjoy
the experience provided by a particular destination. These respondents mainly fell into the
65+ age bracket, and it may be important to note that the majority of the aforementioned
participants travelled to their destination of choice on pre-organised package tours.
Seventeen of the participants reported that they, themselves, did not choose their destination
of preference, but rather travelled to locations chosen by their local parish‟s religious
organisation. Again, it may be worth noting that these participants also fell into the 65+ age
26
2
74
4
11
7
4
6 Lourdes
Pio
Fatima
Shrines of France
Holy Land
Camino
Rome
Medjugorje
Other

31
bracket. Figure 4.4 below provides a breakdown of whom participants tend to travel with,
with organised pilgrimage group emerging as the highest percentage (36%).
4.4.1 Budget
Budget was a major factor taken into consideration by participants when choosing a
pilgrimage destination. Most participants (52%) listed cost/budget constraints as a reason for
choosing certain destinations over others. Based on descriptive statistics relating to
destination choice and factors influencing preference, it emerged that Lourdes was the
destination of choice for individuals who rated costs as an important factor for their
destination choice.
I travel alone
11%
One other
adult
12%
Group of
Adults
28%
Child or Family
Group
8%
Organised
Pilgrimage
Group
36%
Organised Tour
(Non
Pilgrimage)
4%
Did Not answer
1%
Travelling Group

32
4.4.2 Other influencing factors
Other factors which influenced destination preference included joining family
members/friends on a trip, basing destination choice on accessibility for an elderly friend and
visiting somewhere new/adventure. Of the seven participants who listed visiting somewhere
new, the majority were aged 54 or below.
4.5 Deterring factors
Overall, participants reported that their most recent pilgrimage was a positive experience.
However, in terms of factors which might deter religious tourists from choosing certain
destinations, excessive structuring by tour organisers, unsatisfactory hospitality provision,
insufficient assistance and support, as well as travel-related problems and accessibility were
highlighted as the main issues. Firstly, twenty participants reported that excessive structuring
by tour organisers, leading to constraints on their personal time, as well as limiting their
freedom to have an input into the structuring process, were significant deterrents. Fifteen
participants identified unsatisfactory hospitality provision – with reference to food, drink,
accommodation, entertainment and overall comfort – as a key factor which would
discourage them from returning to certain destinations. Furthermore, insufficient assistance
and support, both in terms of the provision of helpers and tour guides, as well as a lack of
tour-related information had a negative impact on the pilgrimage experience of several
respondents (ten respondents in total).
Eleven respondents reported a negative experience of airport and air travel. Some reported
that airport delays caused problems for them, as well as stringent security checks. One
individual experienced in-flight turbulence. Long or uncomfortable journeys were a
deterring factor for some respondents.

33
Participants who travelled further to reach their destination – for example, those who had
visited Medjugorje and the Holy Land – reported feelings of discomfort associated with
long-distance travel.
A qualitative analysis revealed that older adults had difficulties with accessibility in certain
destinations. Reported difficulties included making their way around in wheelchairs,
travelling around historical sites and reaching remote destinations. For example, one
respondent stated that “remote hill top shrines were hard to access.”
4.6 Conclusion
Analysis of the results of this study clearly revealed Lourdes as the most frequented
destination of Irish religious tourists, with other destinations emerging significantly less
often in participants‟ responses. Due to the pre-determined nature of the present research, the
majority of respondents fell into the 65+ age bracket and also described their employment
status as retired or not in paid employment. Motivating factors in regard to destination
preferences included familiarity with the destination, facility of pre-organised tours and
budget. Deterring factors included excessive structuring, poor hospitality provision, lack of
support/assistance and poor travel arrangements. The ensuing chapter will provide an
interpretation of the above results.

34
Chapter 5
Interpretation,
Analysis &
Discussion

35
5.1 Introduction
This chapter seeks to draw together and tease out the key findings which emerged from this
study, as outlined in the preceding chapter. In doing this, significant findings will be
discussed in the context of both the relevant literature and the central questions the research
set out to address, with the purpose of providing a greater understanding of the phenomenon
of Irish overseas pilgrimages. The chapter will also discuss the primary research, which has
been undertaken and attempt to evaluate the extent to which its component objectives have
been achieved, reflecting thus on the limitations of the present study, in terms of both
conceptual scope and range and methodological design. Finally, implications for tourism
provision and suggestions for future research in the field will be explored.

36
5.2 Evaluation of the findings in relation to the research question
As was stated in the previous chapters, the overarching question for this paper directly
asked:
‘What are the factors influencing the pilgrimage preferences of Irish tourists?’
The study‟s first objective was to identify the most frequented pilgrimage destinations
chosen by Irish tourists. In exploring this, the results of the research showed that the majority
of Irish pilgrims – 26 out of 75 – selected Lourdes on their most recent religious pilgrimage.
This is not surprising, given that the relationship between Irish Catholicism and Lourdes
dates back to the origins of the Lourdes pilgrimage destination in the Irish context, as
outlined by Dowling (1984). As previously stated, Dowling (1984) traced a direct link
between the choice of Lourdes as a pilgrimage destination and its historic longstanding
status in the Irish Catholic mind, as mediated by religious, medical and educational
institutions. Griffin (2007), as previously cited, has also claimed ever-increasing interest in
Lourdes as the premier destination of Irish religious tourists or pilgrims, reporting figures of
50,000 annually to this site, this growing interest again explained in terms of historic links
and other socio-cultural factors. Although it can, thus, be expected that a pre-determined
sample population comprising members of religious orders and practising Catholics, most of
whom were affiliated to Catholic institutions, will reflect this historic heritage and socio-
cultural influence in its pilgrimage preferences, the study‟s findings were not entirely
predictable. Analysis of underlying motivations points to a more complex picture, as will be
discussed later.
The Camino or Way of Santiago de Campostella in Northern Spain emerged as the second
most frequented destination, with 11 out of the 75 study participants listing it as their
destination of preference.

37
Rome and Fatima were placed joint third, also suggesting, perhaps, the impact of tradition
and historic connection on pilgrim choice. As in the case of Lourdes, the overall picture that
emerged reflects more complex underlying motivations, as will be explored later. It is
particularly interesting to note that seven of the respondents showed a preference for
locations not normally thought of as pilgrimage destinations, a finding that was not predicted
and that warrants further consideration.
In relation to the study‟s second objective, to identify the underlying motivations and
reasons for pilgrimage destination preference, a very interesting but complex picture
emerged. Factors that influenced destination preferences included familiarity with the
destination, with approximately 30% of respondents reporting returning to favourite sites;
the facility of pre-organised tours and pilgrimages as reported by 36% of the respondents,
and finally, budget, with 52% of participants citing cost and value as key concerns.
The motivational factors outlined above warrant further discussion. Firstly, familiarity with a
pilgrimage or religious tour site or destination, resulting in multiple trips to the same location
was explained by respondents in the study in terms not only of ease and security, but also in
terms of related factors such as the opportunity of meeting up with relatives and friends, as
well as the possibility of taking elderly or disabled members of their families or communities
to a familiar destination. This phenomenon may be best analysed through the socio-cultural
lens and fits well with the concepts of both tourism and religion as cultural institutions that
reflect a given society‟s values and lifestyle. Pearce (1989), as cited earlier, defined tourism
as the web of relationships and phenomena arising out of people‟s temporary stays away
from home, stays undertaken for the purposes of leisure, recreation or associating.
Idinopulos et al. (1998), also previously cited defined religion as an institutional set of
beliefs and practices that hosted key psychological, social, aesthetic and moral functions for
a given society. The Irish pilgrimage experience, as outlined above, can be seen to

38
incorporate these key institutional functions, satisfying myriad needs and aspirations, all
connected to individuals‟ psychological, social, moral and aesthetic goals, this reflects the
points made in the literature review by Maslow‟s (1943) theory on a hierarchy of needs. This
identifies the religious tourism subset of the tourist sector as a crucially significant
dimension for the expression of socio-cultural drives and trends. As previously stated,
religious tourism has already been identified as such a phenomenon by many studies. Lavery
(1996), previously cited, explained religious tourism as travelling for the purpose of religion,
reflecting the underlying importance of both intrinsic elements. Furthermore, Dowling
(1984), referring to the Irish context, outlined the institutional context of religious tourism,
describing the pervasive influence of religion and its practice in every aspect of Irish life.
This view of religious tourism, including pilgrimage, as a powerful cultural and economic
phenomenon is well supported by the present study which highlighted how destination
choice and preference owes much too institutional heritage and tradition and their expression
in tourist traveller behaviour.
Another significant motivational factor associated with destination choice in participants‟
responses in the present study was the facility of organised tours and pilgrimages, with 36%
of respondents identifying it as very significant. Again, this reflects on socio-cultural
institutional interrelationships and related traditions and trends. As previously cited, Griffin
(2007) reported ever-increasing Irish interest in overseas religious tourism and pilgrimage,
noting that 2,000 people travelled annually on the Dublin Diocesan pilgrimage alone.
Griffin‟s study outlined the attraction for tourists of pre-organised tours, trips or packages, in
keeping with this, 17 respondents (or 36%) of the present study reported the organised
pilgrimage as their preferred format and also revealed that in making this choice they did not
themselves choose the pilgrimage location, but rather travelled to locations chosen by their
local parish‟s religious organisations.

39
28% of respondents chose to travel as a group, again echoing trends outlined in previous
research and significantly, only 11% reported travelling alone, with a still lesser percentage
of 4% of the study‟s respondents reporting going on a non-pilgrimage organised tour. The
attraction of the organised and structured context of the religious tour or pilgrimage for
respondents of the present study also replicates previous claims. Rawlinson (2005), as
previously cited, listed an increase in the number of travel agents offering organised
pilgrimages and church tours as one of the four key determinants of religious tourism.
The other significant motivational factor cited by respondents of the current study in relation
to pilgrimage destination preference was budget. Concern with cost, affordability and value
for money emerged as key factors underlying participants‟ choices, with 52% of those
responding mentioning budgetary issues. This is not surprising in view of the increasing
body of knowledge on the role of consumer consciousness and psychology across the
general tourist sector. Rawlinson (2005), also listed the drive from consumers for a more
authentic and value-for-money experience as a key determinant of religious tourism and
Swarbrooke et al. (1999), as outlined in Chapter 2, highlighted the psychology of consumers
as a key determinant of consumer choice. This insight into consumer-consciousness is also
reflected in studies on religious tourism and pilgrimage by Griffin et al. (2012), as previously
mentioned. They examined the experience and underlying motivations of tourists attending
the 2012 Eucharistic Congress in Dublin. Their study showed that this tourism sub-set knew
what they wanted and had realistic expectations, particularly with regard to an authentic
experience and value for money.
In regard to the third and final objective of the present study, i.e. an evaluation of the factors
that deter religious tourists and pilgrims from visiting certain destinations, the picture that
emerged overlapped considerably with the findings on motivational factors. The list of
deterring factors that emerged from the research reflected concern with what may be

40
considered consumer-oriented factors. Of these, excessive structuring of tour or pilgrimage
itinerary or schedule was the most common aversive factor mentioned, with 20 respondents
out of the participant group of 75 revealing that restrictions and impingements on personal
time would discourage them from visiting a given site or destination. This finding is very
much in keeping with the claims of Rawlinson (2005), Griffin (2007) and Griffin et al.
(2012), who contended that pilgrims and religious tourists increasingly sought a more
authentic travel experience that satisfied their expectations. It also refocuses attention on the
issue of whether there is a measurable distinction between the consciousness of pilgrims and
that of religious tourists. In the current study, for example, respondents reported having to
attend daily mass/worship or feeling obliged to engage in other scheduled ritualistic
components of organised tours as impingements, although they were clearly pilgrims. Some
respondents expressed a wish to explore or shop or site-see on their own terms. This takes us
back to the claims of the Bywater (1994) who contended that not all religious tourists seek a
ritual experience and that tourists in general are motivated to visit destinations that have
important connections to Christianity. Could it be possible, therefore, by extension, to
postulate the view that all pilgrims do not seek a ritual experience and that they are less
motivated by religious ritual than by other pilgrimage components such as visiting an
established Christian site and sharing in a collective spiritual experience?
The above question leads back to the notion of religiosity which was a factor explored in the
study‟s questionnaire by measuring the frequency of worship.

41
It is interesting to note that despite the fact that they had chosen to participate in an overseas
pilgrimage, only 47%, less than half of the sample surveyed, reported worshipping on a daily
basis, with many reporting worshipping far less frequently than that. Jackson et al., (1995),
reflecting on the subject of religiosity, as presented in Chapter 2, reported on the difficulty of
measuring religiosity, claiming that it was very difficult to differentiate, particularly if
researchers relied on observing visit patterns to churches during a tour or pilgrimage. Thus,
in the context of the current study‟s finding that over-structuring and planning of pilgrimage
itineraries in relation to rituals relating to worship and the expression religiosity in general
discouraged travel, one is reminded of Lopez (2013) who contended that the increasing use
of the word „pilgrim‟ in a secular context demands a re-evaluation of both the demographics
and the experience of pilgrimage itself.
It is perhaps unsurprising that participants involved in the current study identified failures
and deficits in hospitality provision as a key factor that would deter them from visiting or
returning to a given destination. In this regard, consumer consciousness appears, once again,
to be a powerful determinant of whether an intending tourist would choose a destination or
not and clearly has implications for tourist boards, tour operators, hoteliers and researchers
alike. Fifteen respondents mentioned inadequate provision of food, drink, accommodation,
entertainment and overall comfort as concerns that would deter them from taking a given
pilgrimage or tour. This finding ties in with observations cited earlier from Weidenfeld
(2006) who noted that it was rare to find hotels that accommodated the special needs of
religious tourists of any faith, such as dietary or hygiene requirements.
Factors that are closely related to hospitality provision but which are primarily the remit of
tour organisers and tourist agents also feature amongst the factors respondents in the current
study listed as deterrents, in particular failures of provision of travel and in-tour assistance
and support, as well as information. The related dimension of travel discomforts and

42
anxieties and accessibility of sites also featured amongst factors that deterred religious
tourists and pilgrims, as can be evidenced in Chapter 4. It is striking that concerns in relation
to hospitality and travel/tour assistance provision identified in this study replicated many of
the findings reported by Griffin et al. (2012), when they approach the heading of
„Administration‟ and look at issues reflecting „monopoly control‟ and „organisational
structure‟. The findings charted in this study thus all clearly relate to the idea of religious
tourism and pilgrimage as institutions satisfying multiple and complex moral, aesthetic,
psychological and social needs, as outlined by Idinopulos et al. (1988).
Concerns relating to hospitality and travel assistance and support may well reflect on
participants‟ age. Age itself was a variable in the study sample, with the majority of
participants being aged 65 and beyond. Employment status was also a variable and findings
showed that „retired‟ or „not currently employed‟ emerged as the status reported by the
majority of participants in the study. It seems apparent that the latter bore a direct
relationship to the age variable. The extent to which these two variables of age and
employment status impact on either of the three research questions was difficult to quantify
in view of the limited scope and design of the study. However it is interesting to note that 6
of the study‟s participants indicated destinations outside of the range normally associated
with pilgrimage as their destination choice, with The Steps of St. Paul in Turkey and a trip to
Madrid for World Youth Day as the most striking choices. It is also interesting that these
participants were aged in the younger than 54 bracket. This may suggest the need to re-
evaluate the geo-cultural and social demographics and pilgrimage experience of religious
tourists, as suggested by both Bywater (1994) and Lopez ( 2013).

43
5.3 Strengths of the Study
This research project proved to be successful in exploring the destination preferences of Irish
religious tourists and pilgrims showing a definite trend in favour of Lourdes, which was
followed by Camino de Santiago (The way of St James), a factor that clearly reflects the
impact of institutional heritage and tradition. It further shed light on the underling
motivations and psychology of the pilgrim or religious tourist, showing this niche of the
tourist market to be heavily influenced by consumer expectations. In addition to this, the
study, despite its limited scope, provided a profile of the stereotypical Irish overseas pilgrim,
which proved to be an elderly female who practiced religion on a daily basis and was retired
from the workforce. The study design, based on the survey/questionnaire format, also
allowed for both quantitative and qualitative analyses.
5.4 Limitations and Weaknesses
As is noted by Anderson (2009), „sampling is the deliberate choice of a number of people to
represent a greater population‟ (Anderson, 2009, p.201). In relation to this paper, the sample
size was found to be too small and restricting. It was also shown, on reflection, to be too
homogenous and confined as it was to a pre-determined population of practising Catholics,
many of whom were members of the clergy or of religious orders. Therefore the findings
may not be representative of the Irish religious tourist or pilgrim as a group.
Gender imbalance was also evident with the overwhelming sample being female. A more
representative reflection of Irish religious tourist or pilgrim behaviour and motivations may
have resulted from a more gender-balanced sample. Age group comparisons would have
enhanced the current study but this could not be carried out as it was not possible to set up
pre - determined age groups, i.e. 20 people 20 years of age, 20 people 40 years of age and 20
people aged 60.

44
Likewise, the study design did not allow for any correlational analyses to examine the
relationships between the variables of age, gender and employment and their impact on the
study‟s key research issues of destination preference and its underpinning motivations. The
inclusion of such an analysis would have made for a more complex and worthwhile research
outcome.
Saunders et al, (2003) contended that a survey involves the gathering of a sample of data or
opinions considered to be representative of a whole. An advantage of using a survey is that it
allows the collection of a large amount of data from a sizeable population in a highly
efficient manner. However, surveys have certain drawbacks which include a limit to the
number of questions any questionnaire can contain and thus the data may not be as wide-
raging as those collected by other research methods, with particular reference to the amount
of questions in the survey. This proved to be another weakness in the current study and flaws
in the design of the questionnaire led to similar questions being asked more than once which
in turn led to the omission of other questions which could potentially have given the survey a
broader range and wider scope.
5.5 Conclusion
This chapter has examined and discussed the key findings of the present study and analysed
it in light of the existing literature. The chapter has also highlighted the implications of the
above for the many stakeholders in the relevant domain.

45
Chapter 6
Conclusions and Recommendations

46
6.1 Introduction
The final chapter of this paper will draw conclusions form the research findings and draw
out implications for relevant stakeholders in the field of tourism. It will also outline
recommendations for future work in the area.
This study attempted to gain insight into the pilgrimage preferences and underlying
destination choice motivations of Irish pilgrims and religious tourists. The study‟s findings
highlighted religious tourism and pilgrimage as powerful institutions that reflect a complex
multi-layered web of underlying relationships and phenomena, the latter geared to exercising
many sociocultural functions and to serving social, moral, psychological and aesthetic needs.
This insight underlines the potentially vast unharnessed market niche and largely
undifferentiated tourist sub-set that constitutes religious tourism and pilgrimage. The study‟s
findings, thus, have huge implications for researchers, national tourist boards, and policy
makers and should inform future thinking and strategizing in the tourism and tourism
marketing dimensions.
The study‟s findings also charted concerns with hospitality provision, particularly with
regard to the areas of travel, accommodation, catering, entertainment and specialist faith-
related provision. This clearly shows pilgrimage and religious tourism to be a very powerful
global consumer product (Burns et al., 1995) that again, is potentially a vast market niche.
These findings have serious implications for hospitality providers, hoteliers, carriers, as well
as for the entertainment and recreation sectors.

47
6.2 Concluding thoughts and future research
Griffin (2007) has argued that despite the erosion of religion and its practice in the Western
World, religious sites have become and increasingly popular tourist destination choice.
Likewise, Lopez (2013) has underlined the need for a re-evaluation of religious tourism and
pilgrimage to take account of ever-changing socio-cultural demographics and the growing
secularism in our western societies. Bywater (1994) also showed that religious tourism may
no longer be exclusively the remit of believers. This highlights the need for future research
in the religious tourism field to extent the focus to the secular context, as evidence suggests
that religious tourism is no longer the exclusive remit of those practising their faith.
Furthermore, the sectors of religious tourism and pilgrimage appear to be largely
undifferentiated areas of the tourism sector and further research would need to take account
of this gap, having regard to a conceptual framework that comprises psycho-social as well as
socio-cultural phenomena as the former appears to increasingly influence tourists‟
motivations.
6.3 Conclusion
In conclusion, this research study has drawn attention to the blurring of the boundaries
between the concepts of pilgrims, religious tourists and tourists in general – a sociocultural
phenomenon clearly implicit in Smith‟s words;
‘If a tourist is half a pilgrim, then a pilgrim is half a tourist’
(Smith, 1992, p.1)
This phenomenon lends itself to a potentially far reaching in-depth future exploration.

49
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56
Irish People and
Pilgrimage?
Survey Number:
_____
This survey is part of a research programme conducted by a final year Dublin
Institute of Technology, Tourism Marketing student. The aim of this study is to
find out the ‘How, Why and Where’ of Irish overseas pilgrimage. The author of
this survey very much appreciates your participation in this research, and all
responses will be treated confidentially.
This is a survey of people who HAVE already travelled overseas on Pilgrimage, if
you have not travelled overseas on pilgrimage, we welcome your opinions, but
will not be able to use them in this research project.
Section 1: Your Experience of Pilgrimage.
1. How often do you travel overseas on
pilgrimage?
2. When was the most recent time you
went
I go once a year [ ] I went in the last month [ ]
I go more than once a year [ ] I went in the last year [ ]
I go once every two years [ ] I went in the last two years [ ]
Other _______________________ Other _______________________
3. On your most recent pilgrimage where did you go to?
Lourdes [ ] Shrines of France [ ]
Italy (P.Pio) [ ] Medjugorje [ ]
Fatima [ ] The way of St James- Camino de Santiago [ ]
Holy Land [ ] Other (Please Specify)
Italy (Rome) [ ] ________________________________
4. Which of the following are reasons why you travelled to this pilgrimage destination?
(Please tick all answers which suit you)
I travel there every time I go on a religious holiday and I enjoy the experience [ ]
For every pilgrimage I try to visit a different place around the world [ ]
My local Parish organised to go to this area and this is why I go [ ]
It best fits my budget [ ]
Value for money [ ]
Other (Please State)______________________________________]
5. Why did you not travel to any other destinations? (Please state)
__________________________________________________________________________
6. What would you say most affects your selection of pilgrimage destination?
__________________________________________________________________________

57
7. Have you considered travelling to any other destinations? (Please state which destinations,
if any)
__________________________________________________________________________
8. If you have considered travelling to a new destination, but you have not yet done so. What
are the reasons for this?
Budget constraints [ ]
I am unsure if it caters for my needs in the way my current pilgrimage destination
does
[ ]
I don’t like change [ ]
I don’t like the unknown [ ]
I can’t think of enough other pilgrims that would consider going with me [ ]
Other (Please State)______________________________________
9. Who do you usually travel with on Pilgrimage?
I travel
alone
One other
Adult
Group of
Adults
Child or
Family Group
Organised
Pilgrimage
Group
Organised
Tour (Non
Pilgrimage)
[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
Section 2: What you look for in a Religious Tour Package.
10. How important are the following for your Pilgrimage Experience:
Very
Important
Fairly
Important
Not sure
Fairly
Unimportant
Very
Unimportant
A package where everything is provided [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
Flexibility to select my own itinerary and
personal experience
[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
An element of free time, for shopping and
other non religious activities
[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
Mass [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
A deep spiritual experience [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
Accommodation (hotel, guest house) [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
Architectural, historical and cultural visits [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
11. What other events and activities encourage you to go on a particular pilgrimage?
__________________________________________________________________________
__
12. In relation to your most recent pilgrimage, what would you say was the best part of the
experience?
__________________________________________________________________________
__

58
13. In relation to your most recent pilgrimage, what do you think was missing / what would
you like to see added to the experience?
__________________________________________________________________________
__
14. In relation to your most recent pilgrimage, are there any aspects that you think should
be removed from the pilgrimage experience?
__________________________________________________________________________
__
Section 3: Planning and Decision Making.
15. How far in advance do you plan your pilgrimages?
A year or more in
advance
6 months to a year in
advance
Less than 6 months in
advance
At the last minute
[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
Comment: _____________________________
16. Why, do you think, people plan their pilgrimages in advance?
They need to plan and forecast [ ]
Economical advantages, i.e.: cheaper [ ]
To eliminate unwanted stress [ ]
Other (Please explain)______________________________________ [ ]
Comment: ___________________________________
17. How important is it for you to do research prior to purchasing your trip?
Very Important Fairly Important Not sure
Fairly
Unimportant
Very Unimportant
[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
Comment: _______________________________
Section 4: Travel / Transport and Pilgrimage?
18. How important is the transportation element of an overseas pilgrimage
Very Important Fairly Important Not sure
Fairly
Unimportant
Very Unimportant
[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

59
19. Relating to your most recent pilgrimage, which of the following modes of transport did
you use to get to your selected destination? (Tick all modes you used)
Private Car Plane Boat Taxi Train Coach
[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
20. Overall was it a comfortable journey?
__________________________________________________________________________
__
21. Did you encounter any problems in the journey?
__________________________________________________________________________
__
22. Would the travel encourage / discourage you from travelling to that destination again?
__________________________________________________________________________
__
Section 5: Personal Details.
23. How would you best describe your level of religious activity?
I rarely worship [ ]
I worship once a month [ ]
I worship once every two weeks [ ]
I worship once a week [ ]
I worship more than once a week [ ]
I worship every day [ ]
Comment: _______________________________

60
24. What is your nationality?
25. In which country do you live?
26. Are you male or female? Male [ ]
Female [ ]
27. What is your age? 24 or younger [ ]
25-34 [ ]
35-44 [ ]
45-54 [ ]
55-64 [ ]
65+ [ ]
28. Which of the following best
describes your current status?
(Tick one)
Employed [ ]
Self-Employed [ ]
Student [ ]
Retired [ ]
Unemployed [ ]
Other _______
Thank you for your time in carrying out this survey. Your input is greatly appreciated!
For any further details about this survey or the overall research project, please feel free to
contact my supervisor Dr. Kevin Griffin, DIT, Cathal Brugha St, Dublin 1

61
Appendix II
Figures
Charts and illustrations used in the study

62
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
24 Younger 24-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65 Plus
Age of Participants

63
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Current Employment Status
10
3
1
12
14
35
I rarely worship
Once a month
Once every two weeks
Once a week
More than once a
week
Every day

64
26
2
74
4
11
7
4
6 Lourdes
Pio
Fatima
Shrines of France
Holy Land
Camino
Rome
Medjugorje
Other
I travel alone
11%
One other
adult
12%
Group of
Adults
28%
Child or Family
Group
8%
Organised
Pilgrimage
Group
36%
Organised Tour
(Non
Pilgrimage)
4%
Did Not answer
1%
Travelling Group

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