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Marketing Mysticism and the Purchase of Pilgrimage: The Rise of Spiritual Tourism in Cusco and Iquitos, Peru

This thesis presents my findings on the Peruvian spiritual tourism industry in both Cusco and Iquitos, based on six weeks of fieldwork during Summer 2005. New Age and Peruvian spiritual belief systems have converged to form current Andean mystical and Amazonian shamanic practices. Increasing numbers of foreign tourists, whether believers in the New Age or not, are coming to gain a deeper understanding of these spiritual belief systems through participation in sacred rituals and ceremonies. The effects of such tourism are similar to other cultural tourism industries, such as increased competition, matters of authenticity, and performance of culture. Other issues are more specific to the spiritual tourism industry, such as the physical and sexual exploitation of tourists. But there are also many positive outcomes of this spiritual interchange, such as individual physical, mental, and emotional healing.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:arizona.edu/oai:arizona.openrepository.com:10150/193281
Date January 2006
CreatorsOwen, Bonnie Jean
ContributorsTesh, Sylvia, Tesh, Sylvia, Wilder, Margaret, Beezley, Bill, Vasquez, Marcela, Tesh, Sylvia
PublisherThe University of Arizona.
Source SetsUniversity of Arizona
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
Typetext, Electronic Thesis
RightsCopyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.

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