Conclusions & Recommendations

• The subject of Religious Tourism is very high on everyone’s priority list. It is therefore a good sign that interest in religious tourism and cultural tourism is increasing throughout the world.

• The case studies that were presented at the Conference highlighted the vast diversity of Religious Tourism destinations and resources. The value of Religious Tourism in social and economic terms is invaluable.

• Religious tourism is interrelated with alternative forms of tourism such as natural and cultural heritage tourism, rural tourism and like many other forms of tourism must be based on quality respect and cooperation. Religious tourism coincides in time and place with non religious cultural tourists that takes place in religious buildings or sites, which can be generally considered to be one  of the varieties of the segment usually called cultural tourism.

• The cultural routes are a concrete application of the trans-boarder cooperation and dialogue  between cultures and religions. They overcome distances, borders and incomprehension. The cultural routes are a place of tolerance, mutual acquaintance and solidarity.

• Religious tourists are becoming more sophisticated in their demands for travel and are interested to pay more for quality experience. Communities around sacred sites are no less in need of jobs, revenue, and public services. Religious tourism is an opportunity for them to benefit economically and socially from the development of this form of tourism. The economic benefits are obvious, and many communities rely almost entirely upon the religious and spiritual tourism product  of services

• Religious tourism should:

1. Protect the physical integrity of the religious sites and respect its religious significance
2. Ensure the host community wellbeing and preserve its priority right to use the religious places to ensure the visitors fulfillment
3. Reconcile the commercial needs of the tourism industry with the spiritual and religious needs of pilgrimages and worshipers since among the many different kinds of religious tourism, the spiritually motivated pilgrimage is the oldest one.

• This kind of tourism stands for respect of local beliefs and traditions, as well as care for the environment. Spiritual pilgrimages encourages understanding and dialogue between different churches, faith communities and religions, different nations and civilizations, and may promote peace and bridge building. All human beings are connected at the same spiritual level. Religious Tourism has the potential to create understanding and tolerance: “ through the wisdom of knowledge”.

• Networking and linkages are critical in Religious tourism, just as with other segments of cultural tourism. Linkages  between nations, governments, national and European organizations, destinations, attractions/sites administrators   help to maximize economic returns and  support the principal of sustainable development. The conference web page ,www.icoret.org is considered to be a useful networking tool (internet).

• The main stakeholders that should be involved in managing religious tourism are:

         The Governments

         Religious Authorities

         International Organisations,

         The host community

         Local Authorities and those responsible for infrastructure

         Outbound and inbound tour operators

         Transport companies

         Local tourism service providers

         Academics

         Stakeholders in the private sector

• Tourism and Religious site managers need to be aware of the implications of tourism upon the sites and find appropriate arrangements to satisfy the needs of both categories of tourists in the best possible ways.

• Cooperation between the Church Authorities and administrators of religious sites with tourism operators including the creation of special licenses for the latter, is indispensable for optimizing benefits arising from religious tourism.

• Religious Authorities could use this from of tourism to promote inter-religious understanding and respect as well as induce some spiritual dimension to tourism.

• The Conference has contributed to the awareness of everybody of the potential and the opportunities that entails Religious Tourism but also the threats in developing this "delicate" special form of  tourism.

• The need for an adaptation of a code of ethics which will list the guidelines for the development of Religious Tourism.