A Guest at Home: The Experience of Chinese Pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago

Ke Zhang, Victoria Labajo, Ignacio Ramos and Almudena González del Valle-Brena
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Ke Zhang: Faculty of Economics and Business, Universidad Pontificia Comillas, 28015 Madrid, Spain
Ignacio Ramos: Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universidad Pontificia Comillas, 28015 Madrid, Spain
Almudena González del Valle-Brena: Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universidad Pontificia Comillas, 28015 Madrid, Spain

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 19, 1-15

Abstract: This study identifies the main dimensions and attributes that shape the experience of the Camino de Santiago for Chinese travelers as a tourism product. By exploring the similarities and differences between their experiences and that of Western pilgrims, it also reflects on the sustainable marketing strategies of the Camino among Chinese travelers. The research adopts a phenomenological approach and gathers data from 112 online travel journals posted by Chinese Camino pilgrims, and from in-depth interviews with twelve Chinese pilgrims. The results reveal that the Camino is experienced by Chinese pilgrims as a personal journey of well-being and growth, as well as a cross-cultural experience. Authenticity and harmony are observed to be the key elements that contribute to a satisfying and transformative experience for Chinese pilgrims, where they find a cultural-spiritual center close to their traditional values, yet distant from their everyday social practices. Both Chinese and Western pilgrims undergo similar external and internal journeys, although each group travels in its respective sociocultural framework. The study is based on Cohen’s (1979) five travel-mode theory and enriches the discussion from a cross-cultural point of view. The implications for the sustainable management of the Camino as a global cultural heritage route, and for effectively marketing it among Chinese tourists, are also discussed.

Keywords: tourist experience; Camino de Santiago; religious tourism; sacred space; Chinese tourists (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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