Feeling Religious Heritage Sites in Tourism

Abstract

This case study focuses on religious sites and their relationship with tourism activity. The case study analyses three known religious sites (World Heritage Sites) in Catalonia, Spain, considering their different tourism proposals and their functions as religious sites. In religious sites multiple uses are performed by different visitors, how religious sites are presented is analysed, also taking into account the sensory landscape of places as an aggregating element of a religious atmosphere. Are these places just sites where architectural heritage, aesthetic beauty and history stand out as the religious meaning of the space is not perceived by visitors? Is the religious character of the site transformed due to tourists?