The seminar also featured contributions from Madeleine Burns, former Vice Minister of Tourism of Peru, and Bárbara Bordón de Castellanos, a FIASEET director and president of Viajes Gala, who offered complementary perspectives on public management, regional coordination, and the private sector’s responsibility in strengthening religious tourism. The institutional presentation of the Committee on Cultural and Religious Tourism was given by Silvia Uscamaita Otárola, leader of COMTUCYR, who emphasized FIASEET’s role in creating training spaces and promoting tourism as a tool for development with purpose.
Welcome remarks were delivered by María del Carmen Salazar, President of FIASEET, and Susana Cafaro, who highlighted the Federation’s commitment to advancing international projects that integrate the values of culture, spirituality, and sustainability. Gimena Chiazzaro, coordinator of FIASEET committees, moderated the session, ensuring a participatory and enriching dynamic among panelists and attendees.
The event drew participants from across Ibero-America—Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Spain, Paraguay, Panama, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, and Mexico—reflecting growing interest in this tourism segment. Thanks to the virtual format, there was a fluid exchange of experiences, best practices, and perspectives on the role of religious tourism in diversifying cultural offerings and building more inclusive and sustainable destinations.
During the seminar, it was emphasized that religious tourism becomes a pillar of social cohesion and territorial development when managed from a sustainable, accessible, and community-respectful approach. In this regard, COMTUCYR reaffirmed its commitment to advancing an agenda that links faith, culture, and sustainability, strengthening professional capacities, fostering cooperation among countries, and creating routes and tourism products with shared value.
The World Religious Tourism Network, represented by Pilar Valdés Arroyo, reaffirmed its willingness to collaborate with FIASEET and other organizations in designing joint strategies that promote spiritually and culturally responsible tourism. Valdés stressed that such meetings help “weave strong alliances among destinations, religious communities, tour operators, and public administrations, with the purpose of preserving intangible heritage and reinforcing the spiritual identity of peoples.”
Founded in Mexico in 1980, FIASEET has consolidated a network of women leaders in Ibero-American tourism dedicated to training, professional exchange, and promoting projects with economic and social impact. Its work, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), promotes competitive and ethical tourism, oriented toward equity and women’s leadership in the industry.
The 1st International Virtual Seminar on Religious Tourism proved to be a space for reflection and learning that strengthened cooperation among women leaders in the sector and helped position religious tourism as an essential component of sustainable tourism development. From FIASEET’s perspective, the event was an institutional success—both for the level of participation and the quality of the contributions—and the continuation of this line of work was announced through future editions and joint activities.
FIASEET’s Committee on Cultural and Religious Tourism thanked the speakers, the World Religious Tourism Network, and all attendees whose reflections and experiences enriched this first international gathering, marking the beginning of a new stage in promoting religious tourism from the perspective of women’s leadership, sustainability, and regional cooperation.
