Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People

People on the Move

N° 106, April 2008

Cultural and Religious Tourism: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR THE 21^ST CENTURY

(Póvoa de Varzim - Portugal, 22 - 24 April 2008)

Msgr. Novatus Rugambwa

Under-Secretary of the Pontifical Council

for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People

I am very pleased to take part in this Congress on Cultural and Religious Tourism in this beautiful region of Portugal. I would like to convey warm greetings and encouragement to all those present from His Eminence the President of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, and His Excellency the Secretary, Archbishop Agostino Marchetto.

The two components, culture and religion, with which this meeting is concerned, achieve a close association in tourism. Indeed, alongside the thirst for knowledge and awareness that nourishes both the intellect and emotions – something which characterises cultural tourism -, the so-called religious tourism focuses on the search for the “sacred”, in the broadest sense of the term, with the unfolding of an immense spiritual vision before us. Both the experiences derived from it encompass the mind and soul, heart and life.

Undoubtedly, the in-depth study that specialists from various disciplines will carry out over the next few days, will reveal many facets of these two kinds of tourism and will open before us new horizons in scientific, educational, communicational, social, spiritual fields – or in one word – in human reality.

It is our prayerful wish that this meeting will focus on the human person’s entirety, integrity, complexity and wholeness (holistic approach).

In other words, when it comes to culture and religion, tourists should act in a responsible and sustainable manner - to use a contemporary expression. A correct approach to sites of cultural and religious interest therefore presupposes effort, preparation and study in order to know something of the history of the host country and its people. It is equally important to have at least an idea about the religious event which inspired the genius of the artist who created a specific work of art, monument, cathedral, painting, artefact or statue. Indeed, this is what gives rise to a society’s values or a belief that stimulates curiosity, leads to reflection and sets in motion a dialogue on the fundamental experiences that form and mould us. Thus the mind receives, elaborates, discerns and acquires new information, and the journey turns into a tourist experience with cultural or religious depth. One person’s heritage becomes the treasure of another and of all, something that should be respected and protected both now and in the future. In fact, what we are talking about is sustainable tourism. This accumulation of common assets may then become an opportunity to spread and share values such as peace and fraternity, and to promote tolerance and even acceptance of legitimate and enriching diversities of ethnic groups, cultures, languages and religions.

This brings us back to the term ‘responsibility’, which should engage all tourists of good will, of whatever religion or Weltanschauung, in order that their behaviour may be in accordance with, for example, the spiritual places of religious significance they choose to visit. Their choice of cultural and religious tourism also requires respect for the local community, who should not be looked upon as if they were a mere museum object. For generations, members of local communities have kept alive the memory of special events, and therefore generally are willing to provide visitors with a key for interpretation, or simply offer an open gesture of welcome.

Just as an example: last week the International Herald Tribune (14.04.2008) published an article with a title: “Tourism overwhelms a gem of Laos”. The author (Seth Mydans) decries the fact that the tourist influx is basically perverting the nature of Luang Prabang, a 700-year-old town with 34 temples and numerous monks. The risk is that Luang Prabang “could become another tourist town where soft-drink billboards dominate the landscape, where the sound of tour buses drowns out the soft temple prayers, and where the town’s residents are reduced to the roles of bit-players in a cultural theme park”. As is well known, Luang Prabang, a place of mists and temples in the mountains of central Laos, was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1995 and “was until recently one of the last pristine remnants of traditional culture”.

The organisational efficiency of this kind of tourism relies on the specific abilities of both civil and ecclesial authorities. Insofar as these authorities are able to collaborate together and in harmony, the welcome given to visitors and tourists is of high quality, it takes into account everyone’s needs and also is beneficial to all concerned.

As representative of the Pontifical Council which is responsible for the pastoral care of all those involved in human mobility, I would like to say a word of acknowledgement to those migrants who have settled in places of tourist interest and who see themselves as members of the communities which are identified with them. With their presence, they also contribute to the dynamism of the place and to a new way of living together. Among the other components of human mobility who have a role to play in this context, we should bear in mind foreign students, young people whose eagerness for culture also leads them to take advantage of this kind of tourism; air transport employees, who enable us to travel and move around in a rapid and relatively comfortable way; and those workers who provide services and promote safety on the roads and motorways on which the majority of tourists travel.

In conclusion, I would like to wish you all profitable days of encounter, study and cordiality, with the common aim of improving our commitment to make cultural and religious tourism an opportunity for the growth of host countries, tourists, and all human beings.

Thank you for your attention and may God bless you!