Pilar Valdés Arroyo celebrates one year at the helm of the World Religious

Pilar Valdés Arroyo celebrates one year at the helm of the World Religious and Spiritual Tourism Destinations Network

02-01-25

Today is a day to celebrate in the World Religious and Spiritual Tourism Destinations Network, because exactly one year ago, on January 2, 2024, a strategic project designed by the Steering Committee of the Tourism and Society Think Tank began to walk, with a firm step, and shortly after having the project on paper, began its search for the person who could bring it to fruition. It was then when Ms. Pilar Valdés Arroyo, a Spanish expert in tourism with more than 35 years of experience who also has 12 years of experience in the religious and pilgrimage product, joined this ambitious project not only to land it but also to adapt it to the real needs of the sector, to organize and structure it, especially due to the large number of agents involved and different religions.

The mission of the World Religious and Spiritual Tourism Destinations Network is to promote destinations of religious and spiritual relevance, fostering their sustainability and positive impact on local communities. With the incorporation of new leaders, it seeks to consolidate itself as a global reference in this field, strengthening strategic alliances, developing innovation initiatives and enhancing the international visibility of the associated destinations, not only with local, regional or national authorities, but also with the entrepreneurs involved in the destination, the wholesalers specialized in its commercialization and the media sensitive to this type of tourist who travels for reasons of faith.

In her first year at the helm of such an immense challenge, Ms. Valdés has been developing the foundations for the strategic growth of the World Network, its governance system, its lines of financing, its range of services, its training and professionalization plan, but also seeking the best professionals in this sector to create a team to lead the growth of the destinations that so desire, in their respective countries. A year, in short, marked by very significant advances and always thinking of strengthening and promoting religious and spiritual tourism at a global level by supporting its associated destinations. A vision that she shares with the President of the Tourism and Society Think Tank, Mr. Antonio Santos, to whom Ms. Valdés is very grateful not only for his great support but also for the great honor it is to work with someone of his worth.

It is true that religious tourism is one of the oldest forms of travel. From the first pilgrims to the millions of people who today visit sacred sites on five continents, this activity not only mobilizes believers, but also generates profound economic, social and cultural impacts. It is estimated that each year, more than 330 million people participate in trips related to religion or spirituality, encompassing the five great religions: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism and Buddhism.

The World Network works tirelessly to ensure that the destinations that join the network have everything they need to develop their destinations and turn them into pilgrimage destinations, creating strategies for the arrival of pilgrims who can have an integral experience that takes into account not only their spiritual dimension, but also their physical, cultural and social needs. This year, the network has managed to consolidate an international structure with 16 National Coordinators in three continents such as America, Europe and the Middle East and it is a great pride for Mrs. Valdés to have great experts in the field coordinating all the actions of the World Network in countries such as Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Egypt, Guatemala, Hungary, Mexico, Paraguay, Portugal, Peru, Dominican Republic and Uruguay.

In addition, Ms. Valdés, has just incorporated two valuable members to the team to occupy the Territorial Directorates of the Network in Latin America and Europe, strengthening its presence and global action, thus structuring a whole system of governance that streamlines and strengthens the understanding and coordination between public and private agents responsible for the destinations but also to support private companies that are part of them, such as tourism marketing agencies, training information (Universities and Tourism Schools), and so on.

The Network has partners that are pilgrimage routes, such as El Rocío or the Camino Lebaniego, in Cantabria, Spain, which take advantage of the network's capacity not only to make themselves known globally but also to have experts in the field for the creation of development plans, promotion and/or tourism marketing, as is the case of the Camino Lebaniego, Intangible Heritage of Humanity by Unesco and member of the network since its inception.

Actions such as a fam and press trip carried out there last December, have meant the promotion of the destination in more than 100 international media for which the Camino Lebaniego was unknown. With a delegation of no more than 35 people, including journalists and high delegates of international Episcopal Conferences, the dissemination and repercussion of the event and the Camino in the national Spanish and international European and Latin media has been as exponential as it has been profitable.

Events such as the First National Congress of Religious Tourism of Guatemala, organized by the Guatemalan Institute of Tourism in collaboration with the Network is another event to highlight during 2024, of which Mrs. Valdés is especially proud. A first congress of this magnitude that counted with international experts from Mexico, Argentina and Spain and with the invaluable participation of Guatemalan professionals of its Holy Week, declared World Heritage by Unesco, among others, and that concentrated almost 300 specialized people in the city of Guatemala in the month of October.

Religious tourism must also be at the forefront of tourism innovation, improving processes, customer service, the marketing of its experiences and the improvement of its infrastructure. In the last 12 months, it has made progress in the development of a multichannel platform, unique in the world, designed to keep both destinations and pilgrims informed about events, services and opportunities. This digital space will be a key tool for the global promotion of destinations and the optimization of the traveler experience.

During this time, it has also consolidated its participation in European projects for the creation of Pilgrimage Routes, international fairs, university conferences, national and international congresses of worldwide relevance, and a long etcetera. These achievements are not just statistics; they are firm steps towards the creation of an ecosystem that values and promotes religious tourism as a driver of sustainable development.

And, in the case of the Catholic Christian religion, the network has established an exemplary framework of collaboration, being in perfect connection with the Delegates of the Pastoral Ministry of Tourism of the Episcopal Conferences of the great majority of the countries in which the Network is already represented with a National Coordinator. In addition, the foundations have been laid for the necessary collaboration between the Catholic Church and the more specialized tourism sector, resulting in almost a dozen itinerant congresses, world meetings, territorial assemblies and conventions in different Latin-speaking countries for 2025 and 2026.

It is worth mentioning that, within the Strategic Development Plan, Mrs. Valdés had foreseen the objective of launching the Network in Latin America by 2024, in Europe by 2025, in Asia Pacific by 2026 and in the Middle East by 2027. This year, therefore, it is Europe's turn with an eye on future nationals in countries such as Italy, Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom and France, with dozens of pilgrimage destinations.

Despite the progress made, major challenges remain. The overcrowding of some destinations, the need to preserve the tangible and intangible heritage and the lack of adequate promotion in certain places require priority attention. Therefore, the Network calls on governments, institutions and the private sector to invest in infrastructure, training and sustainable strategies to ensure an enriching experience for pilgrims and lasting benefits for local communities.

In an increasingly globalized world, religious tourism is not only a tool for spiritual connection, but also a bridge between cultures. It is our responsibility, as key players in this sector, to ensure that these trips remain opportunities for peace, understanding and mutual enrichment.

From the World Religious and Spiritual Tourism Destinations Network, we want to reaffirm our commitment to work together with all those involved in this noble endeavor. The road is long, but, in the words of Ms. Valdés, “together we can continue to transform lives, communities and destinations, thus helping local development and avoiding depopulation and the abandonment of the ecclesiastical heritage that is so hard to maintain”.

For further information: religi_destin@tourismandsocietytt.com

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