Religious tourism is experiencing a phase of strong renewal, driven by an increasingly broad and diversified demand.
A complex ecosystem of spirituality and cultural travel
No longer just a traditional segment linked to visits to holy places, today religious tourism is a complex ecosystem that combines spirituality, culture, well-being and the discovery of new parts of the country. Against this backdrop, Professor Simona Attollino, lecturer in Law and Religion and director of the Executive Master in Religious Tourism and Smart Management of Cultural Heritage at LUM University, offers a useful key to understanding for operators, DMOs and professionals in the supply chain.
New interest in places on the margins of the main flows
In recent years, demand has been driven by a strong search for meaning and integral well-being. Visiting a sanctuary or a pilgrim’s path is no longer a ritual gesture, but a time devoted to self-care. This is confirmed by ISNART studies which highlight a particularly relevant aspect for operators: the religious tourist is often a return visitor. Alongside the spiritual motivation, cultural, natural and food-and-wine interests are pushing travellers towards lesser-known destinations and more narrative experiences. "Today we are witnessing an increasingly evident intertwining between spiritual research and artistic-cultural enjoyment,- says Attollino. -It involves every age group, with a growing role for the new generations. Through social media, digital content and spontaneous storytelling, young people are contributing to the widespread enhancement of places that in the past remained on the margins of the main flows.
For operators, this scenario implies the need for new skills
Another determining element is the evolution of the concept of pilgrimage itself. The experience is attracting people who experience the dimension of the sacred without necessarily belonging to a religious institution. Sanctuaries, pilgrimage routes, patronal festivals and spiritual rites thus take on a community and cultural function. For operators, this scenario implies the need for new skills. “Solid legal knowledge of cultural heritage and safety are needed, along with specific managerial skills to design tourism-religious products,- explains Attollino. - There is also a growing need to know how to dialogue with ecclesiastical bodies, public institutions and local communities, to co-plan together. Religious heritage must also be interpreted from a cultural and territorial perspective, while digital skills are indispensable for intercepting the new languages of travellers. Religious and spiritual tourism can become a laboratory of innovation and sustainability for the entire tourism industry.”
