The Holy Grail route: a study of mystic routes and activities to improve local tourism

This case study attempts to outline GRAIL; a European Union sponsored research project designed to develop and examine the importance of religious and cultural routes and how they might act as a catalyst for regional development and improve local tourism. It will be shown the project aims to develop a Pan-European tourism route based on the legend of the Holy Grail. The study identifies the challenges and opportunities posed by the development of tourism routes in general and the Grail Route in particular. It considers the problems posed by the complexity of the subject matter; different interpretations of the Grail in European literature; the fact that there are different contenders for the title of the ‘Holy Grail’ and the possibility of there being not one, but several routes based on different cultural and spiritual perceptions of the Grail