The research project “Assessment of the Muslim-friendly potential of Mudejar Territory for the reception of knowledge tourism” has focused on the evaluation of the resources available in the territory to configure in the short term a coordinated offer to attract Muslim tourists. The Muslim Friendly traveller is an unexplored opportunity to boost the economic and tourist activity of the towns that make up the Mudejar Territory.
Considering previous experiences in Western Andalusia and Algarve-Alentejo, it is possible to group tourist resources adapted to this tourism profile around the Mudejar heritage of the selected localities. The logistical opportunity represented by the AVE connection with Calatayud could facilitate the marketing of a Mudejar-friendly route for Muslim tourism that already visits the peninsula, and which normally focuses on Eastern Andalusia.
The municipalities selected for the study are Calatayud, Morata del Jiloca, Maluenda and Belmonte de Gracián. They all belong to the Comarca of Calatayud, which has been chosen as the starting point due to its AVE connection with Madrid (55 minutes).
Taking into account the current preference of Muslim travellers for Andalusia, the proposal is to use the AVE station as a logistical node to enable tourists to travel to Aragon for a first contact with the Mudejar heritage in less than an hour. Once in Calatayud, private transport is necessary, due to the scarce interconnection of territories and localities in the region.
The target profile has been identified as travellers from Europe and the Gulf who are looking for experiences that are different from the current offer. They are high-income, English-speaking tourists who can travel semi-independently, but for whom a narrative that awakens their interest in the territory and its heritage is still necessary, as well as the possibility of specialised guides and access to heritage interiors.
Medium-term objectives should focus on:
- Make up for logistical shortcomings (lack of connections beyond Calatayud) with a personalised transport model that reinforces the uniqueness of the places.
- To strengthen the short trip offer by consolidating and adapting the tourism business model.
- Create a grouping of the heritage offer and tourism assets (designing a programme that combines heritage and natural attractions).
- To work on a narrative, reinforced with signposting materials, that allows us to understand the historical coexistence of the population in the Aragonese territory.
LINE OF RESEARCH: Strategic management of Mudejar heritage. Cultural landscape and urban landscape.
AUTHOR: Dr Bárbara Ruiz Bejarano.
