Holy Grail Route

Abstract

This chapter describes and explains the Holy Grail Route, its process of design as a tourism product, and the tools and methodologies that proved very useful in coming up with new tourism services for the route. This was based on a European research COSME project within the H2020 program, which ran from 2014 to 2016, with the objective being to plan and promote a European thematic, tourist, and transnational route. The basic idea arising from the project is the international collective imagery surrounding the Holy Grail and its traditions, legends, and culture (novels, films, tales), and creating a European route in which different countries and partners are represented: Bulgaria, Greece, Malta, Spain, and Great Britain. The route explores different ideas and topics such as the Arthurian legends, Cathar stories, and Christian traditions. In the case of Spain, the Christian traditions are very deep and have a huge popular appeal. The authors have found modern novels, historical representations, and cultural movements created specifically around it, and a great many Christians wanting to work in the sphere of this important relic, the Holy Grail, which is kept in Valencia cathedral and, for centuries, was in the territory of Aragon. What are the main goals of this project? What kind of social and economic agents have been involved in it? Both the theoretical framework and methods used will be explained in this chapter.