“All Roads Lead to Fatima”: Religious Tourism at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Rosary

Introduction

It can be said that tourism has its roots in the practice of secular pilgrimages (Cohen, 1992; Digance, 2006; MacCannell, 1999; Smith, 1992; Turner & Turner, 2011; Webb, 2001). However, the phenomenon of contemporary religious tourism has new features. Novel forms of religious mobility have combined with other types of tourism, including the cultural. Meanwhile, religious tourism has grown even as religious practice has decreased as a result of the rising secularization of societies (Santos, 2003). Nolan and Nolan (1992) identified three types of religious tourism attractions: pilgrimage shrines devoted to religious practice and with little attraction of secular tourism; shrines which are simultaneously centres of devotion and tourist attractions, due to their historical, artistic or performative features; and places where religious festivals are the principal attraction. Fátima is an example “of very large shrine complexes in small communities that are visited primarily by pilgrims and religiously-oriented tourists” (Nolan & Nolan, 1992, p. 71), without attracting a significant number of secular tourists or travellers. Fátima is one of the world’s most important Marian sanctuaries. It is also located at the crossroad of some of the most relevant historical and cultural heritage sites in Portugal. Furthermore, it is the location of a famous religious festival on 13 May that attracts huge numbers of visitors of all types. Fátima is recognized as a global pilgrimage centre (Jackowski, Ptaszycka-Jackowska, & Soljan, 2002; Richards & Fernandes, 2003) that brings in believers and non-believers from across the globe. Fátima is one of many sacred touristic sites, “which exist for sacred practices or are otherwise sacred in their nature, and which develop touristic attractiveness because of their sacredness” (Brayley, 2010, p. 290).

Religious tourism has an important socio-economic impact on its destinations. In 1917 Cova da Iria was nothing more than uninhabited countryside on the outskirts of Fátima. With the arrival of the pilgrims, the area began to receive settlers (Santos, 2006, 2012). “The population growth stems mainly from the arrival of workers from the surrounding area, who hope to offer their services to the pilgrims.” (Rinschede, 1992) Over the last century, Fátima has become very well known as a prominent pilgrimage centre. Four phases of development have been identified according to the Butler model of the tourist destination life cycle (Butler, 1980, 2006): in the very beginning, while the apparitions were on going, growing numbers of pilgrims braved an unspoilt area with neither infrastructure nor amenities (exploration); next, new residents spontaneously moved in and built informal facilities around the site of the apparitions (involvement), and then local and central authorities, both ecclesiastic and civil, began to advertize and benefit from the region (development); nowadays, coincident with the centenary celebration, there is a marked intention to consolidate a new image of the sanctuary and to reorganize the entire complex so that it might better serve the needs of both pilgrims and tourists (consolidation). However, despite the fact that Fátima has developed as a major tourist destination, the town itself remains relatively small (Ambrósio, 2000).