Malta : a differentiated approach to the pilgrim-tourist dichotomy

Abstract

Tourism is today considered to be a main player in most countries of the world. A particular sector of tourism, pilgrimage and faith-based tourism, has proven to be crises- resistant. The synergy of this sector is a mixture of religious sentiments, demands and motivations and on the other hand there is the rationality of the tourism infrastructure. This paper argues that the islands of the present republic of Malta have been a pilgrims’ destination from Neolithic times to the present. The islands’ rich cultural, religious and historic fabric offers Roman Catholics, Protestants and participants of the New Religious Movements an opportunity to experience religious or spiritual fulfilment within the spaces and sites. The discussion about the tourist-pilgrim dichotomy in the context of Malta provides room for extended value and range of this dichotomy in view of the register and diversity of the participants and the intensity and range of their experiences and fulfilment.