The culture and identity of church bells as a product : a new market for special interest tourism?

Abstract

The literature available on the Maltese church bell ringing is very limited and vague. This research study is intended to fill in this literature gap while further exposing this Maltese culture product. The ultimate scope is to test the possibility to provide a transformational learning experience to visitors through an innovative special interest tourism (SIT) product. The research commences with a review of available primary literature so as to attain a better understanding on the visitor experience, authenticity, interpretation and the ways of how to design a transformation learning experience. These aspects were inspired from Pine and Gilmour’s the experience economy which eventually formed the theoretical framework of this research. The findings presented in this study were collected through the conduct of two separate visits followed each by a focus group. During the visits, all participants were to fill a customer satisfaction index in order to record their immediate level of satisfaction. The purposely selected samples of participants included individuals coming from different sectors and also including bell ringers. This was necessary for providing various interesting arguments and discissions which are highlighted in the fourth chapter of this study. Various themes are tackled including ethics and the authenticity of this product and experience. The benefits and challenges of this product are also highlighted in the study. The research confirms that church bell ringing could actually be offered as an SIT product, however, the benefits and challenges of this product have to be addressed through a number of recommendations presented in the last chapter of this study.