religious tourism money

How religious pilgrimages support a multi-billion dollar industry

LONDON -- International religious pilgrimage: the business of devotion and divinity, miracles and mysticism for millions of worshippers. It is both a life-affirming contemplation for the faithful and the lifeblood of the communities surrounding popular shrines.

Global “pilgrimage tourism” encompasses a multitude of businesses from tour operators and shrine administrators, to road-side souvenir stalls and pilgrims’ hostels.

Religious travel generates at least $8 billion a year for shrine-centered economies and provides employment for thousands, according to academics — and being able to measure the celestial and spiritual elements of pilgrimage in monetary terms is far from a modern phenomenon; it’s as ancient as the act of spiritual travel itself.

“Pilgrimage has always been commercial, as has religion,” Manchester University professor Ian Reader told CNBC. “The roots of tourism are in pilgrimage, as the first package tours in Europe were organized by Venetian merchants controlling the Mediterranean. They ran tours to the Christian Holy Land in medieval times.”

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Reader is an expert on the economics of pilgrimage. His book, “Pilgrimage in the Marketplace,” will be published in 2013.

"The contributions of pilgrims to local economies cannot be underestimated,” he stressed. “I have seen estimates that in the early 2000s, pilgrimage to San Giovanni Rotondo in Italy [the mystic saint Padre Pio's pilgrimage site] brought the town in $56.8 million in revenue — and it sustains the local economy.”

The business of saints Indeed, destinations such as Lourdes or San Giovanni -- that have built their identity around their shrines -- call it religious branding. Entire towns are dedicated to the business of saints. Souvenir stalls, restaurants, hostels and tour operators owe their existence to the 100 million pilgrimages that take place every year.

As with much in the spiritual world, measuring the financial impact of pilgrimage is more art than science. Tourist revenues are subject to seasonal variations, and often the businesses surrounding shrines are reluctant to be seen as mercenaries.

However, tourism scholar S. Vijayanand, author of “Socio Economic Impacts in Pilgrimage Tourism,” published in the International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research in January 2012, estimates that pilgrimage tourism is worth up to $8 billion a year globally.

It’s not just spending by tourists generating economic activity. Host countries also benefit from tourist-related infrastructure projects.

Saudi Arabia has just approved a development plan costing $16.5 billion to improve transport facilities -- including a new rail line dubbed "Mecca Metro" -- for the annual 2.5 million pilgrims that visit Mecca on Hajj, the once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage duty for all able-bodies Muslims.

Tourist revenues also provide much of the cash flow for the Roman Catholic Church.

The Holy See — the church as an economic entity — recorded a budget shortfall of $19 million in 2011.

But the Vatican City State — the guardian of the Church’s structures and Museums, including the Sistine Chapel — enjoyed a budget surplus of nearly $22 million, thanks to the fervor of tourists.

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The Vatican might be the heartland of Catholicism’s papal leadership but devotees in search of spiritual succor may opt for Lourdes, the site of a Marian apparition – the name for appearances of Mary -- that now boasts one of the biggest shrines in the world.

“The entire economy of towns such as Lourdes is, in effect, based on pilgrimage,” Reader tells CNBC.

'Souvenir circus' Indeed, in 2010 Lourdes’ administrators recorded employment of 30 full-time chaplains, 292 full-time lay employees and a further 120 seasonal employees, accounting for nearly four percent of the area’s total population.

They’re assisted by more than 100,000 volunteers who look after the needs of visitors, many of whom journey to Lourdes in search of miracle recoveries from crippling ailments and disabilities.

Whatever solace pilgrims draw from their sojourn, they return in the way of hard currency. Some 90 percent of Lourdes' $23 million  budget is derived from visitor donations.

Some commentators on Catholicism, such as New York Times journalist Jason Horowitz, have bemoaned the commercialism of popular shrines and souvenir stalls, describing the rows of plastic saints or cigarette lighters emblazoned with a benevolent and beatific face as belonging to a “souvenir circus.”

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But Reader of Manchester University disagrees. “Souvenirs are an intrinsic part of the pilgrimage market — without them there would be fewer pilgrims, and pilgrim places would be less lively. My studies show a livelier place attracts more pilgrims.”

The United Nation's World Travel Organization reckoned in 2007 that religious tourism, albeit a loose category, was the “fastest growing part of the travel business.”

Indeed in 2007, the Vatican’s pilgrimage office, the Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi, was so keen to encourage the laity to visit shrines that it struck a five-year contract with Italian cargo airline Mistral Air and started pilgrimage charter flights around the globe under the slogan “I’m searching for your face, Lord.”

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Branding and advertising may be a very modern way of reaching today’s pilgrims but the faithful have taken to the road seeking salvation since the Crusades, said Reader.

Fast-forward a millennium, however, and the competition for pilgrims is heating up with hundreds of pilgrimage tours operating online vying to entice millions of would-be pilgrims to undertake a religious journey.

Devotees less devout? Priests or other religious scholars often oversee the tours, adding a sense of depth and veracity to the journey. However, one priest told the National Catholic Reporter that the religious experience might be diluted by modernity and indeed, the travel.

Modern pilgrims are keener on capturing the moment on their smartphones than quietly savoring the spiritual experience, said Friar Caesar Atuire lamenting the “kind of absenteeism that's becoming very pronounced even in our pilgrimages.”

That points to a whole new target group for tourist operators marketing shrine-related packages. If devotees are perhaps becoming less devout, as it were, perhaps their more secular brethren could come to see the cultural attraction of many religious sites.

The European Commission has recently issued a report that seeks to promote pilgrimage routes as “Cultural Routes”: journeys for everyone, adherent or atheist.

Read more international coverage from NBC News

Penelope Denu, administrator of the commission’s “Cultural Routes,” told CNBC that these pilgrimage routes are not only the preserve of the ardent devotee. “More and more people are now doing these routes that have no religious connection,” she said.

Secular and cultural use of pilgrimage routes such as of the Camino de Compostela in Spain means that hundreds of thousands of visitors no longer carry the symbols of a religious pilgrim, such as a “pilgrim’s passport” or oyster shell -- a symbol synonymous with Santiago-St. James-of Compostela, to whom the route is dedicated -- along the journey.

Business is booming for hostels and firms that line the 485-mile route — an economic success that hasn't gone unnoticed by Eurovia, an association for the establishment of European pilgrimage routes, or the Italian State, which has funded a relaunch for an Italian pilgrimage route with a $12.9 million grant. 

The association is attempting to promote the lesser-traveled Via Francigena, the ancient 1,240-mile pilgrimage route from Britain to Rome that it believes could rival Spain’s Camino.

Georg Kerschbaum, president of Eurovia, told CNBC that the route is becoming more and more popular, spurring the development of infrastructure, such as sleeping accommodation, along the route.

“The Via Francigena would definitely benefit the local economy — you will get people passing through villages that would never usually be visited,” he said. “Little shops can then survive as pilgrims use the route. It’s amazing for the economy.”

Kershbaum adds that even though the Via Francigena is still not so well known, even if only 500 people a year walked it, “that would be 500 more tourists than there were before.”

Professor Reader notes that “commerce has been intrinsic in pilgrimage from the outset.”

Indeed, from the relics of religion traded for over 2000 years to the modern souvenir stalls of Lourdes or the shrine of “Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico,” the booming business of pilgrimage looks set to stay.

“One should not think that there is a distinct separation of ‘religion/pilgrimage’ and ‘money' .... Religion and pilgrimage and money go hand in hand,” Reader concluded.

This article, " Religious Sojourns Fuel Multibillion-Dollar Business ," originally appeared on CNBC.com.

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Religious tourism- what is it and how does it work?

Disclaimer: Some posts on Tourism Teacher may contain affiliate links. If you appreciate this content, you can show your support by making a purchase through these links or by buying me a coffee . Thank you for your support!

Religious tourism makes up a big part of the tourism industry worldwide. Learn more about religious tourism, what it is and how it works in this article….

What is religious tourism?

Why is religious tourism important, missionaries, religious sightseeing, religious tourism in india, religious tourism in the philippines, religious tourism in italy, religious tourism in israel, religious tourism in turkey, religious tourism in poland, religious tourism- further reading.

Religious tourism is a branch of tourism which involves people travelling for religious purposes (like a pilgrimage ) or to see things of religious importance (sightseeing). It is also known as faith tourism. It also incorporates missionaries. Religious tourism isn’t just for religious people, of course. Many people who engage in religious tourism are actually of no religion themselves!

Religious tourism is an important branch of tourism for many reasons. It allows people to connect to their religion in a way they might otherwise not be able to – for example, a Muslim person living in a predominantly Christian country or area may have little opportunity to visit a mosque. They may also not have the chance to meet other Muslims very often. By visiting a place where Islam is the prominent religion, they might be able to build a better connection with their religion. 

It also provides a way for humanity to preserve our common heritage. All religions are practised in different places across the globe, as humanity has spread through the centuries. By visiting religious monuments and locations, we are able to learn more about the histories behind different religions, making religious tourism a great form of educational tourism too.

Religious tourism also helps to provide funding for the upkeep and preservation of religious sites. Entry fees to places like the Vatican are useful when it comes to repairs and paying for the staff who maintain the physical aspect of the Catholic Church. As well as this, as more people visit certain areas, governments are forced to ensure that roads, water supplies and infrastructure are taken care of.

Religious tourism activities

There are various activities which can come under the arm of religious tourism. One major one is a pilgrimage. I have an in-depth article about this, which you can read here . A pilgrimage is an often lengthy trip to a place of particular significance to your religion. An example of this is Muslims visiting Mecca, or Catholics heading to Lourdes. You can find some other religious tourism activities below…

A missionary is a person sent on a mission by their religion. They are sent to an area in order to promote this religion, and also provide services that this area may need. The most famous missionaries are members of the evangelical church, a branch of Christianity. The term comes from the Bible, when Jesus himself used it to refer to sending his disciples to preach the gospel in his name. However, the term’ missionary’ can be used in relation to any religion.

The most popular form of religious tourism is sightseeing. This is something which many people do, regardless of their particular religion. Every year, over 5 million people visit the Vatican – and they are not all Catholics heading there to pray or connect to the religion. They are also people who are interested in art and architecture, or history buffs, or people who want to tick ‘visiting the world’s smallest country’ off their bucket list.

The same goes with people visiting other religious sites. They may not necessarily be religious themselves. Many are, of course, and visit these sites for reasons similar to why people go on pilgrimages. They want to connect with other people of the same religion, or visit a place that is important to the religion itself.

There are many places you can go if religious sightseeing is something you enjoy. You’ll find some popular ones below!

Religious tourism destinations

Pretty much every town and city across the globe has a church, mosque, temple, cathedral or synagogue (and so on) – which means religious tourism can take place anywhere. There are some places, however, where it is much more prominent than others.

Religious tourism in India is huge. Spirituality is a massive part of Indian culture , with the main religion being Hinduism. 79.8% of the population identify as Hindu, with 14.2% practising Islam and 2.3% being Christians. Sikhism and Buddhism, while not as popular in India now, were both actually founded here.

With that in mind, there are many places of religious importance to visit in India. 

Haridwar and Varanasi are two famous religious places in India, and have been since ancient times. They are two sites with a lot of significance in Hinduism. Haridwar is where the River Ganges exits the Himalayan foothills, and there is a nightly river worshipping ceremony held here. Tiny flickering lamps are floated off the steps of the sacred ghat here. Varanasi is believed to have been the home of Lord Shiva, a prominent figure in Hinduism. Varanasi sees many pilgrims visiting in order to purify themselves by bathing in the River Ganges at sunrise.

There are also hundreds of beautiful churches, temples and mosques across the country which make for wonderful sightseeing.

The Philippines is a predominantly Catholic country. 83% of residents are Roman Catholic, with other branches of Christianity being the next popular religion followed by Islam. There are many Catholic sites you can visit as a religious tourist. These include:

• Monasterio de Tarlac, San Jose, Tarlac – with its statue very reminiscent of Christ the Redeemer in Rio
• National Shrine of the Divine Mercy, Marilao, Bulacan – with healing flower water in its basement
• Tatlong Krus, Paete, Laguna – the site of three tall white crosses with breathtaking views, a popular pilgrimage site
• Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto, San Jose Del Monte City, Bulacan – a replica of the grotto at Lourdes, with 14 Stations of the Cross
• Manila Cathedral – inside the walled historic city of within the modern city of Manila

When it comes to religious tourism, Italy is one of the best places. You’ll find so many churches, cathedrals, museums and historic religious sites to visit whether you are religious or not. Being the location of the Vatican, which is the heart of the Catholic Church, it comes as no surprise! Statistics show that Italy is home to at least 1,500 shrines, 30,000 churches, and 700 diocesan museums. As well as this, there are a large number of monasteries and convents across the country.

Assisi is one of the most important places in Italy for religious tourism. This is where St Francis (patron saint of Italy) lived! His remains are buried at the basilica here.

Loreto is another important destination. People come here to visit the Basilica della Santa Casa, home to some of the relics of the holy house of Nazareth. Legend says this is the house where Mary would have grown up – and where she would have received the message of Jesus’ birth.

Rome , of course, is where you can go to visit the Vatican. St Peter’s Square is an incredibly important destination for religious tourism, as people flock here to catch a glimpse of – or be blessed by – the Pope.

More than half of tourists visiting Israel are religious tourists. Home of the Holy Land, it is no wonder that so many Christians and Jews come here. Recent statistics show that:

• 90% of all Christian tourists visited Jerusalem
• 89% visited Tiberias and the Sea of Galilee
• 86% visited Nazareth
• 85% visited the Dead Sea area
• 83% visited Capernaum 
• 86% of pilgrims visited Bethlehem

Within these regions, there are so many places to see which are of religious importance to Christians and the people of the Jewish faith. These include Via Dolorosa, the Western Wall, Mount of Olives, the Church of the Nativity, the Church of the Annunciation and many more.

There is a lot of religious tourism in Turkey too. Here there are many churches, mosques, mausoleums, crypts and so on. Religious tourists can visit the ‘first church in the world’, which is the Church of Saint Peter. Located near Antakya, it is a cave carved into the mountainside. Saint Nicholas lived in Turkey, too, so there are various locations linked to him – including the alleged site of his burial in Demre.

It’s not just Christianity that is so present in Turkey. There are so many Islamic sites of importance across the country too. Istanbul is home to the only remaining items of clothing of the prophet Muhammad; there are beautiful mosques in every area of the country, and you’ll be able to hear the call to prayer wherever you are.

Poland is another destination which is popular for religious tourism. One very popular site is the Pauline Monastery on Jasna Góra in Częstochowa. This is where tourists can find the blessed icon of the Black Madonna, worshipped globally. Wadowice is the birthplace of Pope John Paul II – and there is a lot of information about him in Krakow too, as the two places are relatively close. Generally, the country has many beautiful churches and monasteries. These make for brilliant sightseeing trips, a major part of religious tourism as stated above.

If you have enjoyed this article, I am sure that you will love these too!

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February 28, 2019

Peter Wiltshier

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Religious Tourism: What is it and why is it so important?

Religious tourism is one of the earliest forms of tourism and is a fast growing market. Here, Peter Wiltshier, Consultant Researcher Community & Tourism Development NZ at Research Consultancy NZ, New Zealand , explains what it is and why it is so important.

View to Jerusalem old city, Israel

What is religious tourism?

Religious tourism has taken place since the dawn of civilisation. Pilgrims travelled to pay homage to the sacred places and their guardians throughout the world. Tourism to sacred sites has merged with pilgrimage in the past 2,000 years. More recently, in the past 200 years wealthy Europeans visited special sites of sacred ritual in both the New World and throughout Europe.

Why is it so important?

Sites of special sacred significance have been visited for millennia. What is now important is that these sites need protection, conservation and interpretation. There are few guardians of these special places of worship and visitation and even fewer sources of funds to maintain and manage sites for visitors and worshippers. We do make a distinction between worshippers and visitors, as the religious sites cater for both in roughly equal amounts at some very special places like Lourdes in France and Fatima in Portugal.

Religious tourism in history

The management of religious tourism presents many challenges that are unique in both breadth and application. Sites of religious significance have existed since biblical times and pilgrimage in the Judeo-Christian context is mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible, for example, in the story of Elkanah, who travels annually to Shiloh to worship and sacrifice (1 Samuel 1:1-28). It is also present in the New Testament Pentecost story, when Jews from all over the world went to Jerusalem for the Passover (Acts 2: 1-12). Many of these sites still exist and other sites, although not as old, have considerable heritage value. The management of heritage sites present particular problems, one of which relates to the cost of maintenance.

Managing sites of religious tourism

Most religious sites are owned by religious organisations, and this may cause challenges for their management, as they must balance the needs of worshippers with those of their visitors. Mosques are at the centre of Islamic tourism and are visited by both Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Muslims may visit mosques while travelling as a tourist attraction or as a place of worship. Many mosques have a dual role, functioning as both a place of worship and as a community centre. The role of community centre means that the mosque will be open for functions and festivities that are not strictly religious in nature and may include non-Muslims.

Muslim countries, such as those in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) welcome tourism, especially religious tourism. But they make a distinction between pilgrimage, the most well know being the Hajj, and other forms of religious tourism. While non-Muslims are welcome at sites such as mosques, they are not welcome at the Hajj. The Hajj is one of the most important forms of pilgrimage today with millions of Muslims travelling to Makkah (Mecca) in Saudi Arabia and, without question, the most important Muslim pilgrimage. It is therefore important to distinguish between Muslim travellers to Muslim sites and non-Muslim visitors to these sites. For example, it is not acceptable for non-Muslims to enter the region of Hejaz where the cities of Mecca and Medina are located. There is some conflict related to ‘ownership’ of these sites, and this is discussed below. Other religions have similar problems in relation to conflicting motivations.

Visitors and worshippers

One of the conflicts that has been noted is between visitors to religious sites and worshippers. While many visitors see worshippers as part of the experience, some worshippers do not like the feeling of being observed. Worshippers do not want to feel that they are part of a ‘show’, but are happy to share their religious space, and are proud of the architecture and history that attracts visitors to the site. Sacredness does not readily cross cultural boundaries. What is viewed as sacred by one group, such as congregants, may be seen as culturally interesting by another visitor group. Given that some visitors may wish to engage in worship, Church authorities may need to determine when a request to participate in a service should be accepted as an expression of genuine interest and/or intention.

Developing sites of special significance requires the dissemination and sharing of both intellectual and practical contributions to meet those needs in a planned and stakeholder-driven approach. Traditional approaches to development emerged half a century ago with a focus on core competencies and the agreed understanding that open and fair competition would raise quality and assure reasonable profit margins. It is important to create awareness of services and products and map those to marketing practices.

Analysis and synthesis through primary research enable cleric and manager to grasp visitors’ and worshippers’ needs and develop audiences for sites. In the book, we present the importance of maintenance and plans for developing sites to accommodate factors in both internal and external environments that acknowledge the requirement to remain competitive.

How can religious tourism sites stay competitive?

The importance of networks, grappling with the wider community and perhaps establishing a wider, even global, reach, is appraised as important. In seeking to tap into resources traditionally not employed in managing religious and pilgrimage sites, we elevate the need for an enterprise culture.

Our book features great practices for supporting tourism to sites of worship and pilgrimage from China and Nepal through to Salt Lake City, Australia and diverse but important sites in England, Hungary, Spain, and Ireland. Emerging practices in festival and event management at these sites are coupled with new interpretation through the use of virtual reality technology. Emerging good practices for emulation come with sites that are now employing funding managers prepared to manage the risks of increased visitation against the pressures to conserve and protect the ancient sites at the centre of the visitor experience.

This post also appears on the University of Derby blog .

Managing Religious Tourism is now available from the CABI Bookshop.

You might also be interested in reading From too many to too few: the impact of COVID-19 on overtourism

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The growth trajectory of religious tourism in key markets

Emerging Markets | Tourism

– Faith-based travel generates significant tourism revenue in key markets

– MENA countries are developing transport and cultural offerings to improve capacity

– Religious events represent key drivers of arrivals to some regions

– Technology can help improve connectivity and access to faith-based offerings

With many emerging markets diversifying their tourism offerings , faith-based tourism is set to become a key segment for a number of markets worldwide.

An estimated 330m people travel for religious reasons each year, according to the UN Word Tourism Organisation, forming a significant market for countries with attractions of spiritual or sacred value. These trips include pilgrimages as well as sightseeing trips to important historical and religious sites throughout the year. Additionally, a 2017 study reported that some 25% of travellers expressed interest in this form of tourism, whether for spiritual or non-spiritual reasons.

Global revenue from faith-based tourism is projected to total $15.1bn in 2023, according to market analysis firm Future Market Insights, and this figure could reach $41bn by 2033.

In addition to supporting job creation and local economies, religious tourism is helping to spur investment in logistics infrastructure, preservation and wider recreational offerings around the world.

Boosting connectivity

In areas that already experience sizeable inflows of religious tourists, new strategies and infrastructure projects are helping to prevent over-tourism while enabling capacity for growth.

In India, which boasts important sites for a number of faiths, religious tourism flows have reached record highs, with some tour companies registering growth 15% above pre-Covid-19 pandemic levels. Pilgrims include both domestic and foreign tourists, as well as those from the country’s significant diaspora population.

International arrivals to Saudi Arabia are currently driven by individuals participating in the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages. The Kingdom hosted 17.3m international tourists in 2019. Of that number, an estimated 2.49m Muslims gathered in Makkah for the annual Hajj pilgrimage, marking what is thought to be the largest gathering of humans in history.

While numbers fell during the pandemic, they have since begun to recover, and some 1m people participated in 2022. Saudi Arabia aims to host 30m religious tourists in 2030, part of a wider goal to attract 100m domestic and international tourists annually in line with Saudi Vision 2030.

To improve the visitor experience and mitigate the undesirable effects of over-tourism, construction projects such as the $35bn redevelopment of King Abdulaziz International Airport aim to improve local capacity to accommodate arrivals. Slated for completion in the fourth quarter of 2026, the expansion plans include a dedicated Hajj terminal.

The $16bn Makkah Metro project, meanwhile, will open four new metro lines to connect sites of religious importance in Makkah.

The Kingdom is working to promote the Umrah pilgrimage − which can be performed throughout the year – in an effort to mitigate overcrowding and other key issues. The Saudi Arabia Tourism and Research Centre estimates that foreign Umrah arrivals have tripled since 2005. Starting from mid-2022 visitors who receive a tourist visa through the country’s newly launched e-visa programme are allowed to perform the Umrah.

Other countries in MENA are engaged in the restoration and preservation of sites with historical and spiritual importance to the three Abrahamic religions, which could help boost international tourist arrivals. Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced last summer that it would renovate the town of Al Wadi in the Sinai Peninsula, home to the fortified monastery of Deir El Wadi which dates to the 6th century.

These developments come as part of a wider tourism initiative known as the Great Transfiguration Project, which aims to develop sites in the Sinai Peninsula to attract spiritual and recreational tourism to the area. First announced in 2020, plans include further development of the area around St Catherine’s Monastery to improve tourism offerings, as well as the operation of an international airport with flights to Cairo and Athens.

Meanwhile, Jordan’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has begun work on the first phase of a tourism trail from Mt Nebo to the Jordan Valley, which was first announced in 2021. The trail includes sites of spiritual significance for Christians, as well as adventure, cultural and medical offerings.

Regional resilience

Faith-based tourism represents a key driver of regional growth, with religious attractions responsible for a large portion of arrivals in certain markets, especially during pilgrimages and other festivals.

The Indian state of Gujarat, for example, saw tourist inflows reach 44.8m in 2017, with 36% of that number coming for spiritual purposes. India is also home to the Kumbh Mela, an important religious festival in Hinduism that is considered one of the largest religious gatherings globally. In 2019 the festival attracted 200m visitors to Uttar Pradesh State, with some 50m participating during the celebration’s most auspicious day.

Some states in Mexico, a top global performer in tourism, are targeting religious tourism as a strategic growth segment. The state of Jalisco, home to attractions such as the Cathedral Basilica of San Juan de los Lagos, ranks second behind Mexico City in terms of preferred destinations for religious tourists, attracting 11m arrivals each year and some $330m in tourism earnings.

Festivities surrounding patron saint days are key drivers of tourism revenue for hotels, restaurants and other local services. The Zapopan Religious Festival held on October 12, for example, attracts between 1m and 2m tourists to the region each year.

On a national scale, Mexico’s Ministry of Tourism estimates that 40m people a year participate in pilgrimages, generating close to MXN20bn ($1.12bn) in revenue.

In Brazil, another global centre for religious festivals, various states have established itineraries to drive visits to religious sites, such the churches of Ouro Preto in Minas Gerais, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The country hosts more than 200 religious events each year, including the procession of Círio de Nazaré in the city of Belém, Pará State, which was attended by 2.5m people in 2022. In 2019 religious tourism drew an estimated $15bn into Brazil’s economy.

Technological transformation

Mirroring the acceleration of digitalisation during the pandemic, technology is beginning to both support and influence the development of religious tourism.

Backed by TBO.com, a global travel distribution technology platform, Saudi Arabia-based Zamzam.com is an online travel agency platform dedicated to religious travel. The company specialises in Umrah travel services, including a range of offerings such as visas, flights and sightseeing packages.

In September 2022 Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah launched Nusuk, an official digital platform to facilitate the planning of visits to Makkah and Medina for religious purposes, in line with the Vision 2030 Pilgrim Experience Programme.

In early 2023 Saudi national telecom provider stc installed 92 broadcast towers in the Holy Mosque in Makkah, as well as seven communication towers over an area of 1.5m sq metres, part of efforts to boost the digital infrastructure in the city and provide greater connectivity to pilgrims.

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UN Tourism | Bringing the world closer

• 14 Nov 2016

Religious tourism, a catalyst for cultural understanding

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PR No. : PR 16090

Under the title ‘Religious Heritage and Tourism,’ Utrech in the Netherlands hosted a 2-day UNWTO Conference on 5-7 October to underline the potential of this segment to promote the growth of the sector while fostering cultural understanding. The Conference was held in cooperation with the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, the Museum Catharijneconvent, the Centre for Religious Art and Culture (Flanders) and the Dutch Future for Religious Heritage Program Future for Religious Heritage. 

“We suffer from deficits of different kind, being the lack of tolerance and understanding, a major one. Religious tourism is one of the driving forces to bring people from varied backgrounds together under a common cause: the admiration and protection of heritage of tangible and intangible nature,” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, at the inauguration of the event.

The issues of heritage conservation were a major topic of discussion, particularly in those cases where congestion constitutes a key challenge.

The Conference underlined the contribution of religious tourism to economic prosperity and the role of religious tourism as an added value to the offer of cities, villages and regions. In this respect, the event focused on developing methodologies to assess the social and economic impact of religious heritage tourism and strategies to develop these sites as authentic travel destinations. 

Other topics discussed included marketing strategies to improve access to information related to religious heritage tourism, the role of religious communities to promote religious heritage, the importance of investing in new technologies and capacity building and the role of historic commemorations in promoting religious tourism.

Additional information:

Website of the Conference

Programme of the event

Photos of the Event

UNWTO Media Officer Rut Gomez Sobrino

Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60 / [email protected]

UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme

Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218 / [email protected]

EBRD Communications Adviser Nibal Zgheib

Tel: (+44) 207 338 7753 [email protected]

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WORLD – Growth of religious tourism

The global market for religious tourism continues to grow. Last year, 215.000 visitors reached the cathedral of Santiago de Compostella after walking St. James’ way. The town of Medjugorje, in Herzegovina, draws over a million visits anually since six children claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary there in 1981.Peter Johansen writes:

Yes, religious tourism is big. And it’s getting bigger. Researchers suggest the market is more resilient to recessions and is more open to repeat business than secular leisure travel. According to Kevin J. Wright, director of growth markets at the Kentucky-based National Tour Association, the global faith-based travel sector is worth $18 billion and includes 300 million travelers a year, the majority well educated and with comfortable incomes. “Studies show that 35 per cent of travelers want to take a faith-inspired vacation, so the market potential remains enormous,” he says.

Read the full article here .

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Travel, Tourism & Hospitality

Religious tourism in India - statistics & facts

Sites of religious significance, limitations and efforts in boosting spiritual tourism, key insights.

Detailed statistics

Total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP in India 2013-2023

Revenue share from tourism in India 2013-2022, by segment

Religious affiliation in India in 2011

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Current statistics on this topic.

Leisure Travel

Size of the global religious tourism market 2022-2033

Tourism expenditure for PRASHAD India FY 2021-2025

Estimated daily pilgrims India 2022, by select temple

Recommended statistics

• Premium Statistic Distribution of travel and tourism GDP in India FY 2023, by type of visitor
• Premium Statistic Distribution of direct travel and tourism GDP in India FY 2023, by spending type
• Basic Statistic Share of tourists India 2019-2028, by expenditure

Distribution of travel and tourism GDP in India FY 2023, by type of visitor

Distribution of travel and tourism GDP in India in financial year 2023, by type of visitor

Distribution of direct travel and tourism GDP in India FY 2023, by spending type

Distribution of direct travel and tourism GDP in India in the financial year 2023, by spending type

Share of tourists India 2019-2028, by expenditure

Share of tourists in India from 2019 to 2022, with a forecast for 2028, by expenditure

Pilgrim-focused initatives

• Premium Statistic Tourism promotion and publicity expenditure India FY 2021-2025, by type
• Premium Statistic Tourism expenditure for Swadesh Darshan India FY 2021-2025
• Premium Statistic Tourism expenditure for PRASHAD India FY 2021-2025
• Premium Statistic Funding value for Swadesh Darshan in India FY 2015-2019

Tourism promotion and publicity expenditure India FY 2021-2025, by type

Tourism expenditure of promotion and publicity across India from financial year 2021 to 2023, with estimates until 2025, by type (in million Indian rupees)

Tourism expenditure for Swadesh Darshan India FY 2021-2025

Expenditure of Swadesh Darshan across India from financial year 2021 to 2023, with estimates until 2025 (in million Indian rupees)

Expenditure of Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD) across India form financial year 2021 to 2023, with estimates until 2025 (in million Indian rupees)

Funding value for Swadesh Darshan in India FY 2015-2019

Funding value for projects under Swadesh Darshan in India from financial year 2015 to 2019 (in billion Indian rupees)

Hajj pilgrims

• Premium Statistic Number of foreign and domestic Hajj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia 2022
• Premium Statistic Quota of foreign Hajj and Umrah pilgrims Saudi Arabia 2023 by country of origin
• Premium Statistic Number of Indians departing to Saudi Arabia 2009-2021
• Premium Statistic Number of Hajj pilgrims from India 1990-2023

Number of foreign and domestic Hajj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia 2022

Number of foreign and domestic Hajj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia in 2022

Quota of foreign Hajj and Umrah pilgrims Saudi Arabia 2023 by country of origin

Quota of foreign Umrah and Hajj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia in 2023, by selected country of origin (in 1,000s)

Number of Indians departing to Saudi Arabia 2009-2021

Number of Indian nationals departing from India to Saudi Arabia between 2009 and 2021 (in 1,000s)

Number of Hajj pilgrims from India 1990-2023

Number of pilgrims performing Hajj from India from 1990 to 2023

Monuments of religious significance

• Premium Statistic Number of domestic visitors to ticketed monuments India FY 2023
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic visitors to Sarnath monuments India FY 2022
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic visitors to Bhubaneshwar monuments India FY 2022
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic visitors to monuments around Bhopal India FY 2022
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic visitors to Dharwad and Hampi circle monuments India FY 2022
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic visitors to Bengaluru and Goa monuments India FY 2023

Number of domestic visitors to ticketed monuments India FY 2023

Leading ticketed monuments in India in financial year 2023, by number of domestic visitors (in 1,000s)

Number of domestic visitors to Sarnath monuments India FY 2022

Number of domestic visitors to monuments across the circle of Sarnath in India in financial year 2022 (in 1,000s)

Number of domestic visitors to Bhubaneshwar monuments India FY 2022

Number of domestic visitors to monuments across the circle of Bhubaneshwar in India in financial year 2022 (in 1,000s)

Number of domestic visitors to monuments around Bhopal India FY 2022

Number of domestic visitors to monuments across Bhopal and Jabalpur circle in India in financial year 2022 (in 1,000s)

Number of domestic visitors to Dharwad and Hampi circle monuments India FY 2022

Number of domestic visitors to monuments across the circles of Dharwad and Hampi in India in financial year 2022 (in 1,000s)

Number of domestic visitors to Bengaluru and Goa monuments India FY 2023

Number of domestic visitors to monuments across the circles of Bengaluru and Goa in India in financial year 2023 in 1,000s)

Cities with spiritual destinations

• Premium Statistic Number of tourist visits in UP Buddhist circuit India 2019-2021, by destination
• Premium Statistic Number of tourist visits of Rishikesh in India 2016-2021
• Premium Statistic Number of tourist visits of Kedarnath in India 2016-2021
• Premium Statistic Number of tourist visits to Varanasi India 2021, by destination
• Premium Statistic Number of tourist visits to Ayodhya India 2021, by destination
• Premium Statistic Number of tourist visits to Mathura India 2017-2021

Number of tourist visits in UP Buddhist circuit India 2019-2021, by destination

Number of tourist visits in Uttar Pradesh Buddhist circuit in India from 2019 to 2021, by destination

Number of tourist visits of Rishikesh in India 2016-2021

Number of tourist visits of Rishikesh in India from 2016 to 2021 (in 1,000s)

Number of tourist visits of Kedarnath in India 2016-2021

Number of tourist visits of Kedarnath in India from 2016 to 2021 (in 1,000s)

Number of tourist visits to Varanasi India 2021, by destination

Number of tourist visits to Varanasi in India in 2021, by destination

Number of tourist visits to Ayodhya India 2021, by destination

Number of tourist visits to Ayodhya in India in 2021, by destination

Number of tourist visits to Mathura India 2017-2021

Number of tourist visits to Mathura in India from 2017 to 2021

Siginificant religious sites

• Premium Statistic Estimated daily pilgrims India 2022, by select temple
• Premium Statistic Number of tourist visits of Vaishno Devi in India 2016-2021
• Premium Statistic Number of daily pilgrims to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams 2022-2024
• Premium Statistic Domestic tourist visits to Guruvayoor India 2018-2022

Estimated daily pilgrims across India in 2022, by select temple (in1,000s)

Number of tourist visits of Vaishno Devi in India 2016-2021

Number of tourist visits of Vaishno Devi in India from 2016 to 2021 (in millions)

Number of daily pilgrims to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams 2022-2024

Number of daily pilgrims to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams from January 2022 to February 2024

Domestic tourist visits to Guruvayoor India 2018-2022

Total number of domestic tourists to Guruvayoor in India from 2018 to 2022

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The religious economy: $40 billion and growing

Indians undertake more pilgrimages than business trips and spend more on pilgrimage than travel for education purposes

The temple economy is as large as the Indian budget and is sustaining the country. Its contours across religious denominations - Hindu, Muslim and Christians - are much wider than expected. It is changing the society and its financial parameters.

The NSSO survey estimates that temple economy is worth Rs 3.02 lakh crore  or about $40 billion and 2.32 percent of GDP. In reality it may be larger. It includes everything from flowers, oil, lamps, perfumes, bangles, sindur, images and puja dresses. It is driven by the vast majority of informal unprotected labour.

The 2022-23 Central government revenue is Rs 19,34,706 crore and mere six temples collected Rs 24000 crore in cash alone. There are 5 lakh temples, 7 lakh mosques and 35,000 churches in this country. Top officials as devotees give a kick.

Donations for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya collected in 2021 is Rs 5450 crore, almost equal to Rs 5000-crore defence budget. It surpassed the collection in the first phase.

Others are Tirumala Tirupati, Rs 3023 crore; Vaishno Devi, Rs 2000 crore, Ambaji, Rs 4134 crore (Rs 5163 crore in 2019-20), Dwarkadhish, Rs 1172 crore, Somnath, Rs 1205 crore, Golden Temple, Rs 690 crore. Kamakhya temple in Guwahati, Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura, Banke Bihar Mandir in Vrindavan,  Padmanabha mandir, Siddhivinayak mandir and Kashi Vishvanath mandir have similar large earnings.  Gold donations at different temples vary from 130 kg at Tirupati to 380 kg at Shirdi.

The Pew Global Attitude survey shows that more than 25 percent of Indians reported having become more religious over the past four-five years. Between 2007 and 2015, the share of respondents in India who perceived religion to be very important increased by 11 percent to 80 percent now.

Ram Mandir movement and the court verdict has been a game changer. It has poured in huge funding into a region that was one of the most backward. It boosted funding for mosques and Islamic shrines too. During pandemic the silent real estate boom took place in Ayodhya, Varanasi, Vindhyachal, Mirzapur and Mathura. Land prices soared in the most backward places. The premium on land is unprecedented.

Whether religious activities can sustain such places would be interesting to observe. The enthusiasm is high but would it surpass the next industrial revival?

The domestic religious tourism is surpassing the number of foreign visitors. Over 100 crore domestic visits to new destinations suggest there is churning beyond Delhi-Agra-Jaipur golden triangle.

The NSSO figures suggest that 55 percent of Hindus undertake religious pilgrimages patronizing mid and small sized hotels.  Expenses on religious travel are Rs 2,717 per day/person, expenses on social travel, Rs 1,068 per day/person, expenditure on educational travel, Rs 2,286 per day/person. That comes to expenditure on religious travel of Rs 1316 crore per day and an annual expenditure on religious travel of Rs 4.74 lakh crore

This NSSO data says that Indians do more pilgrimage than business trips and spend more on pilgrimage than traveling for education purposes.

The government has chalked out religious circuit tourism. The Ramayana circuit is over the life philosophy of Lord Ram. Along with this, the Char Dham road project has also been prepared. The government has also strengthened the Buddha circuit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi relaunched Varanasi corridor, Kedardham and Badridham. The government is renovating about 50 thousand temples in Jammu and Kashmir. No other prime minister made the visit to religious shrines an event.

The dargahs of Chisti, Aulia, Charar-e-Sharif, Jama masjid of Bhopal, Delhi and other shrines have large income in cash and kinds. Similarly various churches also have decent incomes. The movement for Ram temple in Ayodhya stated to have increased the incomes for most Hindu and Muslim shrines. The earnings of the Hindu temples are known to some extent but whether it is the Ajmer dargah or other Muslim shrines they are shy of telling the approximate figures.

The holy fund is changing the politics, hospital administration and even university portals and more. Dishing out degrees is not difficult and that becomes a money spinner.

During demonetization, some heads of mutts were in the news for their wide connections and effective delivery. Their services were not limited to India. They could deliver new currency notes with ease even in dollars to Dubai, Canada, England or other destinations at premium price. The hawala linkages help.

They are good at balance sheet manipulations Even scrapped notes were exchanged with élan. Yes, these are done to adjust the murky money.

(The writer is a senior journalist. The views expressed are personal.)

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Religious Tourism Around the World

What is Religious Tourism?

Popularity of religious tourism.

• Gratitude and Confession: When people face a crisis in life, they tend to turn to the divine to get help. If they tide over their crises, they visit the shrine to thank the deity, god, or goddess for their divine intervention. Others may resort to religious tourism as a way to absolve themselves of their sins. They may believe that their problems are due to their sins and will visit a sacred site based on their belief to communicate with the divine and ask for forgiveness.
• Spiritual Salvation: In many societies, going on a pilgrimage is seen as a mark of piety. This belief is especially true among Hindus, who visit religious sites to accumulate religious merits while Buddhist go to a sacred place as it is considered the first step in attaining enlightenment. Many seniors embark on religious tourism when they want to make peace with themselves before their leave behind their mortal remains.
• Celebrate Religious Events: When people have the financial means, they visit a religious site to celebrate specific religious events. These events are mentioned in sacred tenets and during religious festivities, they are reenacted as a way to commemorate them.
• Communicate with Other Believers: Religious visits also give people a chance to meet and socialize with fellow believers. It helps the person reaffirm their religious beliefs in a modern environment.

Popular Places for Religious Tourism

Final Words

Category: Travel Industry

• Top 10 Pilgrimage and Religious Destinations of India

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The European market potential for religious tourism

The religious tourism market covers a broad range of tourism products, including pilgrimage trips, visiting sacred sites, church tourism, travel for worship and religious missions. While a large part of European residents are Christian, halal tourism has been growing in the last few years, as well as the demand for spiritual tourism. Important target markets in Europe include Germany, the United Kingdom and France. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a great impact on the religious tourism market.

Contents of this page

• Product description
• What makes Europe an interesting market for religious tourism?
• Which European countries offer most opportunities for religious tourism?
• Which trends offer opportunities on the European religious tourism market?

1. Product description

Religious and spiritual tourism refers to travel for religious or spiritual purposes, such as undertaking a pilgrimage and visiting sacred sites. Also known as sacred or faith tourism, it is one of the oldest forms of tourism. Religious tourism is a niche within the segment of cultural tourism , comprising four specialist niches: pilgrimages, visiting sacred sites, church, mosque and temple tourism, and travel for the purpose of mission or worship.

Table 1: Specialist niches of religious tourism

Many tour operators combine various of these specialist niches. For example, Pilgrim Tours offers pilgrimages, naturally, but also trips involving visiting sacred sites and churches.

Travellers who visit religious sites can be divided into two main target groups: believers and non-believers. Both are important target groups, but they require different approaches.

Believers seek spiritual support or reinforce their religious beliefs. Often, they undertake a pilgrimage for religious reasons or for the purpose of worship. Examples of these kinds of trips include the Hajj to Mecca for Muslims, pilgrimages to Jerusalem or the Vatican for Christians, and traveling to Bodh Gaya for Buddhists. Most religious tourists are very motivated to travel, so they are willing to spend more money than the average traveller. This inherent motivation also makes religious tourism less vulnerable to economic lows. Believers like to travel in groups of like-minded people.

Nonbelievers

Non-believers are attracted to sacred sites, churches, mosques, synagogues and other places of worship, not because of their religious value, but for their cultural significance, architectural importance, aesthetic beauty or historic value. Non-believers may be religious, but religion is not their main purpose for traveling. Some non-believers who seek self-improvement by travelling to religious sites require some form of catering geared to offering a spiritual experience with the destination. Collete’s faith tours are an example of putting this idea to work, offering travel to sites and places of religious significance, supplementing the trip with a spiritual angle related to the place.

For most developing country operators, Europe’s non-believers offer a much bigger market than believers because a very large part of European believer travellers already go to the Middle East.

Religious tourism can be considered a high-quality form of tourism, because of the positive payback for the destination’s culture and society. This form of tourism helps to raise awareness of people’s common heritage s, which helps with their preservation, in addition to the financial gains that can eventually be reinvested into conservation of the local culture and religious heritage. Religious tourism is a great source of community empowerment and development as well. The interest of tourists in local values and communities helps in developing a sense of empowerment and pride in the local community, its culture and history. Naturally, religious tourism also contributes to regional economic increase, employment and better quality of life.

Figure 1: Varanasi, a holy city in India that attracts many believers as well as non-believers

Source: TourmyIndia

• Be aware of the religion aspects in a specific destinations, and make sure to take into account all aspects of its aspects, especially habits and believes. This includes anything from food to the time of certain events, to the music played, to religious calendars. If not all parts of your product are well established and connected, you may lose customers.
• Look into tour operators that organise faith trips to see what their needs are: Globus Faith focuses on Christians, Dham Yatra on Hinduists, and Asia Buddhist on Buddhists.
• Regularly organise meetings with your local community to make sure that everything is in order. Support from the local community requires full integration and engagement with tourism.
• Cooperate with other religious sites, tourism agencies and cultural routes, in order to create a better product aligned to related business. This also provides opportunities for making a product that can be combined with others. Creating a hiking trail, for example, can connect multiple activities and accommodations, such as the kora around Mount Kailash in Tibet .
• Contact European churches or Christian missionary organisations to attract Christian missionaries. These purpose of these travellers is to contribute for the sake of religion, but many will also make use of the trip to see your country. Use the websites Missionfinder and Mission Africa to find some missions in your country.

Religious sites and places of worship are important meeting grounds for different kinds of visitors and hosts. Tourism breaks down cultural and religious barriers and builds bridges between people and communities. This results in better cross-cultural understanding, which improves social cohesion. Tourism businesses should appreciate and understand possible conflicting ideologies, underlying deeper meanings and forms of interaction with religious sites, which may conflict with the socioeconomic and political norms of the parties concerned.

In order to maintain religious tourism sustainable, two criteria must be met:

• preservation of the religious sites or monuments
• upholding respect to local traditions and religious practices

The main reason for making a trip can be religious, but visiting a religious site or place of worship can also just be part of another trip, or it can provide additional attractions to a specific destination. The level of religious tourism can be anything from small scale, visiting specific places of worship (temples, altars, etc.), to medium scale, such as visiting Mecca, Jerusalem or the Vatican, and even large scale, such as visiting Israel as a whole.

• As there are many forms and levels of religious tourism look at what is already available nearby to see if you can add something to it. There doesn’t necessarily have to be a religious site nearby to justify a religious tourist attraction. Look, for example, for any artefacts or other historical facts that relate to the place and focus on that. An example of this in England is called ’ champing ’, which means camping in churches. Remember, however, that different religions have different values, rules and standards. It is therefore necessary to acknowledge and respect those differences, as well as give everyone the freedom to think and express what they want.
• In order to compete effectively in the religious tourism market, use faith in your product name and other branding, making it easily recognisable with signs and marks. Branding helps to enhance connection with the place, create desired perceptions and generally attract people to the place.
• Remember that different tourists require different information and see different things based on their motivations. Try to customise your tour or information guide according to your customers by making it diverse or by having multiple versions.
• Be creative about possible streams of revenue. Among the many goods and services related to religious or spiritual tourism, consider souvenir items, religious books, outlets for halal or kosher food, faith-based music, spiritual or faith-based centres in local communities.

2. What makes Europe an interesting market for religious tourism?

The global market for religious tourism is one of the biggest tourism segments. In 2018, an estimated one-third of 1.4 billion international tourist arrivals travelled for religious purposes. This means that approximately 450 million international trips were made for religious purposes. The popularity of faith-based tourism cannot be understated, as even 25% of travellers are interested in this kind of tourism.

For many countries, religious tourism around its historical and religious heritage is a significant part of their total tourism market. Saudi Arabia, for example, received 13 million religious tourists in 2019, and is expected to more than double this number to 30 million visitors by 2030. In the state of Gujarat, in India, almost 36% of all of tourist visits are spiritual tourists . The religious tourism market in Brazil is one the largest tourism segments in the country, estimated at €14 billion generated by 20 million trips.

The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to affect every tourism segment. All markets are expected to decline, since virtually all attractions and accommodations had to be closed at least temporarily. The European overall outbound tourism market is expected to shrink by 39% in 2020, then return to the same level of 2019 in 2021. Of course, these estimates heavily depend on the duration and impact of the pandemic.

In one example of how the pandemic is affecting religious tourism, in the southern governorates of Iraq, this segment is reported as the second-largest source of income after oil. Normally, religious tourism generates billions of dollars and creates thousands jobs in Iraq every year, but in the city of Najaf, which used to host approximately 5,000 visitors a day, 300 out of 350 hotels are closed. The impact of the COVID-19 crisis is already noticeable in Mexico as well, where millions of religious travellers are normally expected, but most religious sites have been sitting empty this year.

• Read our study on how to respond to COVID-19 in the tourism sector to learn what you should do if your company is affected by the pandemic.
• Focus on tour operators instead of targeting free independent travellers directly. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, European tourists will be far more interested in buying from tour operators in the coming years, because they provide a feeling of security.
• In order to keep religious sites accessible, create a virtual visit of your destination. The Vatican , churches, mosques and other religious sites and places of worship already See other examples of virtual tours on the Rome Reports website.
• Improve online visibility by using social media, interactive website and blogs. We also recommend investing in trying to improve your Google ranking, following tips from the website of Neil Patel or Google’s SEO Starter Guide .
• Make sure that sites and routes in your location are easily accessible for people with reduced mobility. Make sure to mention it upfront in case you have any places which might prove difficult for some people to access. The website of the United Nations offers more information and links to resources on how to promote accessibility at your destination.

3. Which European countries offer most opportunities for religious tourism?

Although Christianity is the most prevalent religion in Europe, it is split into different branches and churches, and those also vary among European countries. Table 2 shows demographic data on religion in the most important European source markets for religious tourism: Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, and Netherlands. Most of these source markets offer opportunities for Christian pilgrimage and travel for the purpose of worship, as well as visiting sacred sites and tourism to places of worship for non-believers.

Table 2: Percentage of the population per religious movement

Source: European Union , 2019

The percentage of Christians in the German population is one of the highest in Europe: approximately 60%, which means that Germans are relatively fast drawn to other religious sites when they are on vacation. The number of Muslims in Germany is relatively high, comprising 4% of the country’s population.

With approximately 82 million citizens, Germany has the largest population in the EU. The country also has the largest GDP in the EU, and fourth in the world: €3.3 trillion equivalent to €50 thousand per capita. In addition, Germany also has the largest EU market for outbound travel . Germans spend on average €2,500 on their summer holidays, which is approximately 25% more than the European average. All of this makes Germany a great target market for religious tourists. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the German GDP is expected to shrink by 7% in 2020, then grow 5% in 2021.

In 2017, German travellers made 10 million trips to developing countries. According to Europ Assistance, German travellers find discovering new cultures very important , as 37% see exploring new cultures as an interesting aspect of their holiday. Since religious tourism for non-believers and cultural tourism overlap in many ways, destinations in the developing world where local customs have religious origins can benefit from this interest.

Table 3: German travellers long-haul destinations, 2017

Source: Reiseanalyse , 2020

When trying to attract German tourists, you need to offer plenty of information. German tourists tend to read a lot before choosing to visit a place. They are, like most Europeans, direct in their communication, and are well known for their tendency towards organisation and punctuality.

Table 4: Key statistics on the attitude of German travellers towards tourism

Source: EU, 2016

United Kingdom

The potential religious tourism outbound market of the United Kingdom is significant as well. With a population of 66 million and a gross domestic product of €2.3 trillion, the United Kingdom is it the fifth-largest economy in the world and the second in Europe. With a GDP per capita of €44 thousand per year, the British have less to spend than the Germans. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the British GDP is expected to shrink by 6.5% in 2020, then grow 4.7% in 2021. The UK officially left the European Union on 1 February 2020 (Brexit), but the country remains in the EU common market, under the same EU rules, during a transition period that goes until 31 December 2020. At this moment, it is still unclear what will happen afterwards, as the EU and the UK negotiate the post-Brexit terms.

Although the British economy is smaller than Germany’s, British travellers have a higher preference for destinations in developing countries than German travellers. British travellers find discovering new cultures very important , as 52% sees exploring new cultures as an interesting aspect of their holiday, which is an important indicator of interest in religious tourism. British travellers spend on average €2,100 on their summer holidays. Turkey (1.6 million trips), Thailand (1.0 million trips) and India (1 million trips) are the most important developing country destinations for British travellers, who tend to speak only English and no other foreign language.

The United Kingdom is one of the main sources of religious tourism in Uttarakhand, India.

Table 5: Key statistics on the attitude of British travellers towards tourism

France is the world’s fifth-largest outbound tourism market , so it naturally offers good opportunities. Israel is a destination particularly in demand among the French, who are second in the number of visitors to Israel. France has almost 31.5 million Christians, who make up 47% of its population, and are therefore are a great target group for religious travel operators. France also has the largest population of Muslims in Europe at 5.72 million, equivalent to 5% of the total French population.

France has the third-largest population in the EU, with approximately 65 million people. It is also the EU’s third-largest economy and the seventh-largest in the world, with a gross domestic product of €2.5 trillion (2019). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the French GDP is expected to shrink by 7.2% in 2020, then grow by 4.5% in 2021.

Regardless of the duration, 46% of French travellers favour packages holidays (excluding all-inclusive packages). Most holidays are purchased online in France, via providers such as tour operators and airline companies (33%) or private housing (25%). The French prefer to spend their holidays with friends and relatives (long holidays 27%, short holidays 35%) or in paid accommodation, such as hotel, B&B, cruise or a youth hostel. Friends, colleagues and relatives provide the most important source of information when the French plan for their holidays (57%).

The GDP of Italy is the fourth largest in Europe at almost €2.1 trillion. The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to shrink Italy’s GDP by 9,1% in 2020, but it will then grow again to 4.8% in 2021. Among the 60 million Italians, an overwhelming 85% are Christian . The outbound tourism market of Italy amounts to €30 billion annually. Italian travellers prefer culture over nature and have a relatively high preference for discovering new cultures . According to Europ Assistance, 34% of Italian travellers see it as an interesting activity during holidays, which suggests that Italians are also interested in religious tourism, such as visiting religious sites, churches and other places of worship. Italian travellers do not often plan their trips too far in advance.

Spain itself has some of the most popular religious sites and places, like Santiago de Compostela. Religious tourism is very popular in Spain, but the country also has a great outbound market worth €24 billion. Spain’s population of approximately 47 million makes it a large market to focus on when entering the European market. The country’s GDP per capita is €31 thousand. The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to shrink the Spanish GDP by 8% in 2020, but it will then grow with 4.3% in 2021. Spaniards tend to prefer culture over nature: 56% of the Spanish tourists see discovering new cultures as an important aspect of their holiday, which suggests they may also be interested in religious tourism.

Netherlands

The Netherlands has a population of just 17 million, but it has a relatively large GDP of €870 billion, which results in €50 thousand per capita, the seventh largest in Europe . Dutch workers on payroll receive a mandatory holiday pay of at least 8% of their annual salary , which indicates that Dutch travellers have more disposable income to use for travelling. The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to shrink the Dutch GDP by 7.5% in 2020, then grow by 3% in 2021.

• Stay up to date on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the countries you want to target. The CBI study on managing the effect of COVID-19 in tourism offers many good country-specific resources.
• Help educate your guests about local customs and cultures, especially the target group of non-believers.

4. Which trends offer opportunities on the European religious tourism market?

Media influence on destinations in southeast asia.

Influenced by mass media, including Hollywood movies, blogs, books, social media, but also by tourism depictions of particular people and places, South East Asia has seen an increase in the number of spiritual tourists. Combined with the positive effects of spiritual practices, these travellers seek activities that involve meditation, yoga, and other spiritual pursuits. They travel to learn about and practice meditation, such as mindfulness, seeking relaxation, self-knowledge and self-growth. Improvements in tourism infrastructure have increased accessibility to religious sites, boosting popularity, but strategic marketing and development of these sites has helped boost visitor numbers.

Media influence example 1: Eat, Pray, Love

In 2010 the popular movie ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ was released. This movie is about a woman searching for what meaning in life. She visits Italy to discover food, India to discover prayer and Bali, to discover love. The movie has stimulated and changed tourism to those destinations , as more tourists travel for the purpose of worship .

Figure 2: A poster of the movie ‘Eat, Pray, Love’

Source: Flickr

• Target spiritual tourism travellers offering new and unique activities. These travellers are often more open new experiences and tours than other religious tourists.
• Read our study on inner wellness tourism , to find more information about this niche market.
• Combine multiple activities into a tour to create a complete spiritual journey. SOTC is an example of a tour operator offering spiritual journeys to India and Bhutan.
• Showcase the immersive spiritual experience to strengthen brand value. Branding creates a perception of a desired destination, also helping travellers to keep your location in mind. Word-of-mouth advertising still is the most successful marketing tool .

Search for authenticity

The search for authenticity is a developing trend among travellers searching for more authentic experiences, such as immersing themselves in the spiritual and cultural traditions associated with specific religions and pilgrimage sites. The immersion often includes participation in or in connection with the local community.

An example of this is a visit to the Dani tribe in Indonesia , combined with other religious sites. Although many Dani are Christians nowadays, they still have many rituals and ceremonies dating from their old animist gods. Note that uniqueness is highly appreciated by European travellers, but it also brings risks. For example, a European tour operator offered tours to the Dani tribe, in which visitors could participate in the religious Dani Pig Feast , including cutting open a pig and eating its raw flesh, which may be too far for European tourists.

Halal tourism on the rise

Islam is the fastest growing religious group globally. Muslims are expected to make up to 25% of the world population by 2030, including a growing and thriving middle class, with increasing buying power. It is important for tourism businesses to meet specific religious requirements, such as preparing food under halal rules, adapting meal times during Ramadan, offering prayer facilities, providing separate swimming pools for males and females and offering entertainment catered to Muslims. Halal tourists often travel with their families and stay for about 17 days .

Looking for the unusual

A growing group of people currently seek more unusual holidays, and more diversification on their travels. Travellers are now not just better informed but overinformed through the internet and social media, so this new group of travellers is seeking something different from the regular tourism destinations the know. What they seek is to see and experience something that they and the rest of the world have not done yet.

In the context of religious tourism, which used to involve a lot of sightseeing, like strolling around Jerusalem or visiting religious archaeological sites, unusual experiences have become far more important. One such example, is a trip to Surinam e to meet people from different religious backgrounds who live together.

• Talk with tour operators, destination managers and clients to learn which services are appreciated and which are not. Offering the unusual is often a balancing act that can work but it can also backfire. Offer your clients sufficient information in advance, so they know what to expect.
• Read our study on community-based tourism to learn more about offering trips to local communities.
• Set up experiences that create added value to a product or service, such as including stories, music, food and other aspects associated with the destination. This trip visiting the Maasai in South Sudan is a good example of an experience that includes local religion, culture, music, and dance. To achieve this kind of product, we recommended that site and destination managers engage a broad range of stakeholders in developing, promoting and managing tourism.
• Invite bloggers or social media influencers free of charge to your destination to reach a larger public. Search for popular bloggers or influencers to see what sorts of trips and tourism products they use, as well as who are their audiences, so you find someone who is highly likely to relate to your destination.
• Keep your own social media channels up to date. Post daily or several days a week on your social media. For more advice, read our study on how to be a successful company online .

This study was carried out on behalf of CBI by   Molgo  and  ETFI .

Please review our market information disclaimer .

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• What is the demand for outbound tourism on the European market?
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• What are the requirements for tourism services in the European market?
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In Focus: Religious Tourism In The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia Prior to 1946, around 60,000 pilgrims visited Mecca annually; that's a 500x expansion in annual pilgrims to be witnessed in 84 years, should Vision 2030's target of 30 million pilgrims per year be realized.

Aug 18, 2022

You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

This article is a part of Bringing The World To Saudi , a special report sponsored by Saudia and developed by Entrepreneur Middle East in partnership with Lucidity Insights.

Hajj and Umrah are religious pilgrimages performed by Muslims from all over the world. Hajj is an annual six-day pilgrimage to Mecca made by over two million Muslims each year; Islam requires every financially and physically able Muslim to make the journey once in their lifetime. Umrah is a shorter pilgrimage to Mecca that can be performed at any time of year; over 19.1 million pilgrims completed Hajj in 2019.

Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages have taken place over centuries, with the first Umrah pilgrimage recorded to have taken place in 629 CE. Islamic scholars have said that the first Hajj was led by Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him, himself in 632 CE, the year of his death. Hajj is the world's largest single annual human gathering today, with nearly 2.5 million pilgrims descending on Mecca together at once, over a one-week period each year. Prior to 1946, around 60,000 pilgrims visited Mecca annually; that's a 500x expansion in annual pilgrims to be witnessed in 84 years, should Vision 2030's target of 30 million pilgrims per year be realized.

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah is responsible for all pilgrim-related activities, coordinating with over 30 government entities to support the sector, which has over 350,000 people employed by it. In 2020 and 2021, the Ministry cancelled Hajj pilgrimages for non-domestic Muslims due to the health and safety concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. This proved to be a grave disappointment for Muslims worldwide, and it also had significant economic repercussions on the Saudi economy. Religious tourism contributed the vast majority of the 3% tourism contribution to Saudi Arabia's GDP in 2016. The pandemic has reminded the Kingdom that diversification of not only its economy as a whole, but especially of its tourism sector, is vital for long-term sustainability; it has also highlighted the importance of developing its domestic tourism infrastructure and opportunities.

Related: Driving Economies: Breaking Down The Significance Of The Global Tourism Industry

In 2019, the Doyof Al Rahman Vision Realization Program (DARP) was launched under the umbrella of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, in order to create a seamless and memorable pilgrim experience program, from airport arrival, to customs, to hotel stay, and transport and logistics throughout. The goal of the program is to upgrade and deliver a distinguished experience for all pilgrims coming to the Kingdom, removing any unnecessary hassles so that they can focus on their personal spiritual journeys. This includes facilitating an e-visa process as well as a seamless arrival into the Kingdom with adequate transportation and logistics to both accommodation and the pilgrim's journey to and from the Two Holy Mosques and holy sites. The pilgrim's journey mapped out in the DARP program also includes initiatives to ensure rituals are performed safely, access to comprehensive health coverage, and ability to extend stays to discover Saudi Arabia's cultural and heritage sites.

DARP has already made strides in implementing several key initiatives that have supported a better pilgrimage experience in the Kingdom, such as, but not exclusive to:

• The e-visa process has reduced visa processing times from 14 days to 5 minutes
• Minimized Saudi immigration wait times with pilgrims now spending an average of only 15 minutes as part of the Makkah Road Initiative, which helps to streamline processes
• Launched a comprehensive health insurance for pilgrims to cover health-, travel-, and accident- related issues
• Protecting and investing in the restoration and development of 40 Islamic holy sites and mosques across the Kingdom
• In March 2022, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah hosted a two-day conference devoted to the development of Hajj and Umrah services titled Transformation Toward Innovation , aimed at exploring opportunities to enhance services provided to pilgrims

It is the intention of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah to implement technological advancements wherever it may help to facilitate a better pilgrimage experience, or enhance health, safety, and security. In line with this, there have been several pilot projects, testing the efficacy in distributing digital wristbands and contactless access cards to pilgrims that securely store digital identity information, necessary permits, visa and health information, and immigration documentation. Some of the piloted technologies have also included digital contactless payments functionalities to facilitate easier payments and access throughout the pilgrimage, as well as geotagging for traffic monitoring and safety.

In interviews conducted about such schemes, it was said that contactless ID cards had higher success rates in many of the pilot programs, as many pilgrims had taken off, lost, or accidentally exchanged their wristbands with someone else when washing before prayer. The aspiration in the future is that every pilgrim will get a RFID wristband or contactless card that helps keep all of these important documents and information securely, while also providing easy payment and access to their transportation and accommodation. Indeed, it is a technologically advanced vision of how an integrated visitor experience could be in the Kingdom.

Other programs that have been piloted include the Pilgrimage without a Bag program. This program assists in transporting pilgrims' bags to their accommodation so that it is waiting for them when they arrive. Improvements in food services have also been rolled out, expanding the provision of readymade meals at holy-sites. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah have also invited young Saudis to volunteer to be assistants, encouraging them to help pilgrims in need of support. There was also a crowd management program that built six transmitting stations and installed 350 sensors placed throughout Mina and at Jamrat Bridge. This network will gather and analyze data about overcrowding and movement of pilgrims. Crowds and movement will also be monitored on high-definition cameras, and the collected data is analyzed at a dedicated crowd-monitoring center.

In line with another Saudi Vision 2030 target of becoming a 70% cashless economy by 2030, the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) along with the Ministry of Commerce ran a point of sale (POS) system implementation drive across the country, including Mecca and Medina, a region where POS penetration has historically been amongst the lowest in the Kingdom. A POS Machine Implementation Enforcement Program was rolled out in 2019, and was finished in 2021. The implementation of POS systems is meant to both facilitate easier payment transactions for pilgrims and tourists visiting the region, while also cracking down on money laundering and tax evasion by small merchant businesses after the country implemented VAT in 2018. Hajj Bank Cards have also been issued by several local banks, allowing pilgrims to deposit money onto them when they arrive into the kingdom, so they don't have to carry around cash with them.

In 2018, it was announced that King Abdullaziz International Airport (KAIA), Saudi Arabia's largest airport in terms of passenger traffic, would begin looking at expansion works for a new US$7.5 billion passenger terminal dedicated to Hajj and Umrah pilgrims. KAIA handled 31.15 million passengers in 2016, some 3.5% more than in 2015. The masterplan envisages increasing capacity up to 42 million passengers a year by 2025, and 80 million passengers annually by 2035. The new Hajj terminal will be able to process over 7,000 arriving and departing passengers an hour, and will be able to accommodate 80,000 passengers at any one time. The new wing would also cater to the specialist dietary and religious needs of the travelling pilgrims. However, the KAIA construction project was temporarily put on hold during the pandemic.

A new international airport in Taif has been under construction since 2019, with it also becoming an increasingly popular summer resort destination in the Kingdom. The current Taif Airport, with the capacity to handle just over half a million passengers each year, is 30km east of Taif city and 70km from Mecca; though classified as a small regional airport, it does handle a few international flights as well. The new airport to be constructed 120km from Mecca will have a six million passenger capacity when finished, and is expected to help relieve the pressures on KAIA to cater to all 30 million pilgrims expected to travel to Mecca annually, by 2030.

Related: Revealed: Saudia's Transformation To Become "The Wings" Of KSA's Vision 2030

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