Monastic hospitality : explorations

O'Gorman, Kevin D. and Lynch, Paul A. (2008) Monastic hospitality : explorations. In: The Council for Australian University Tourism and Hospitality Education (CAUTHE) 17th Annual Conference 2008, 2008-02-11 - 2008-02-14.

[thumbnail of strathprints007646]
Preview
Text. Filename: strathprints007646.pdf
Accepted Author Manuscript

Download (196kB)| Preview

Abstract

In a theoretical model, religious retreats are placed by Lynch (2005a) within the category of traditional commercial homes, noting that the essence of a commercial home is the use of the home as a vehicle for generating income. Lynch (2005b:539) describes the 'commercial home host' as "the principal contact whom the guest encounters when staying in the commercial home," and further states that "the host is central to the product experience in commercial homes. Successful stays from a guest perspective are dependent upon the quality of host-guest interactions" (Lynch 2005c:541). This chapter explores the provision of hospitality within Benedictine Monastries in order to contribute to insights on the commercial home, and starts by locating them within the context of literature on religious tourism and the umbrella term 'religious retreat house'.