Maltese church bell ringing : a religious tourism attraction?

Abstract

Malta, and its sister island Gozo, are imbued with a vast wealth of heritage and traditions going back to prehistoric times. Being a Catholic country for nearly two thousand years, Malta boasts of a wide array of tangible and intangible assets which relate to religion and faith. While bell ringing is one such intangible cultural heritage, it is not, however, given its due importance and exposure. The present study analyses this unique heritage and tradition by focusing on the origins and compares them to today’s reality while also identifying what makes such aspects distinctively unique. The study highlights the importance of conservation and maintenance of certain bells and belfries around the Maltese Islands. Every bell in Malta, from the oldest to newest, is important and needs to be taken care of in order to pass them on as intact as possible to future generations. The study also discusses the actual lack of knowledge on bells and bell ringing in Malta and suggests that launching of an educational campaign in schools and in the wider society. The use of media such as television programmes and articles can boost such a campaign. Finally bell ringing should be linked to tourism and this study explores this aspect. Bell ringing can thus become part of a niche tourism linked to cultural and faith tourism. This study suggests that belfries should be made available for visits against a fee and equipped with trained guides offering the correct explanations to visitors of what is found on a Maltese belfry. Qualitative data was collected through various interviews with parish priests, mayors, sacristans, representative from the Malta Tourism Authority, bell ringers, a tourist who visited Malta specifically to experience Maltese bell ringing, and the general public – locals and foreigners currently living in Malta. After analysing and discussing the views of the interviewees in relation to the topic of bell ringing in Malta, this study concludes by putting forward recommendations, including that of promoting Maltese bell ringing as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.