Why the Church should promote religious tourism: An expert explains

Religious tourism draws hundreds of millions of people to various sites each year, generating billions of dollars, and the Americas have some of the most frequently visited shrines and basilicas.

However, religious tourism is far from reaching its full potential, according to Adrián Lomello, director for the Americas of the World Religious Tourism Network . The situation, he said, represents an opportunity that the Church should not let slip by.

Adrián Lomello, director for the Americas of the World Religious Tourism Network. | Credit: Diego López Marina/EWTN News

In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Lomello explained that while pilgrimages constitute a phenomenon that has existed for centuries, the question is what pilgrimage destinations effectively provide visitors and how such sites can be enhanced to better welcome pilgrims while maintaining the integrity of their religious identity.

Pilgrims arrive at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. | Credit: Leonardo Em/Shutterstock

A phenomenon that attracts millions According to data from the World Religious Tourism Network, around 400 million people…