1. THE RELIGIOUS TOURISM IN ITALY
IFTTA Congress – Roma, september 2010, the 3rd
Prof. Avv. FRANCESCO MORANDI, Ph. D.
Dean of the School of Economics and Management of Tourism – University of Sassari, Italy

2. RELIGIOUS TOURISM DEFINITION
Religious tourism imposes itself as a research of common values of peace, fraternity, local community, roots of Sacred, reading of forgotten symbols, buried symbols that still indicate the route to salvation.
The cultural heritage, the environment, the landscape and the local communities are considered not only as natural scenario, but also as a sacred place and a way to experience history.

3. THE MARKET PILGRIMS & TURISTS
• million of travelles in the world
• 18 billion dollars the business in the world (WTO)
• 4,5 billion dollars the business in Italy
• Italy is the most famous destination citations
in international press (BitLab Observatory)
• In the last year, in Italy, the demand is still encreased:
– for 20%, the domestic tourism (40 million travellers);
– for 36%, the international tourism
• In Italy it represents the 6% of the market
• Middle Est is increasing his attractive

4. THE MOST VISITED DESTINATIONS IN ITALY
THE DESTINATIONS
THE MOST VISITED DESTINATIONS IN ITALY
• [Rome:] pilgrims/visitors
• Loreto Sanctuary: pilgrims/visitors
• S. Giovanni Rotondo (Padre Pio): pilgrims/visitors
• Pompei (BV Rosario): pilgrims/visitors
• Padova (S. Antonio Basilic): pilgrims/visitors
• Assisi (S. Francesco Basilic): pilgrims/visitors
• Assisi – S. Maria degli Angeli: pilgrims/visitors
• Torino (Sindone): pilgrims/visitors

5. THE PILGRIMS / VISITORS
THEIR RELIGIOSITY
THEIR PROFILE
THEIR AGE

6. THE PILGRIMS / VISITORS
THEIR WAY
TO TRAVEL
THEIR
ACTIVITIES

7. THE PILGRIMS / VISITORS
HOW MUCH
DO THEY SPEND

8. THE PILGRIMS / VISITORS
THEY DO
APPRECIATE
THEIR
MOTIVATIONS

9. In Lourdes the pilgrims/visitors:
A BENCHMARK WITH LOURDES
In Lourdes the pilgrims/visitors:
• use a package travel: 86,6% (Italy 35,9%)
• the 50% stay for at least 3 days
• the 1 day visits are the 3% (in Italy it’s the rule in 75% of places: almost all excursionists)
• 55% use the plane to get there
• repeaters are 58,3% (and the 20% has been back more than 5 times!)

10. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
• Despite the economic crisis, the phenomenon is still increasing
• The demand is expressed not only by the religious persons, but also by other tourists, included the non religious ones
• The pilgrim/visitor is a person more cultured than average
• The pilgrim/visitor is not an elderly person
• In these places the customer satisfaction joins a better level (we could obtain an increasing effect on the expenses and on the duration of visit if we had an appropriate offer)
• At the end: in Italy there’s still a lot to do to improve!

11. Thanks for your kind attention!
Prof. Avv. Francesco Morandi
University address:
Law Firm address: /