Yet many of these assets face serious threats arising from the passage of time, limited resources for maintenance, inadequate conservation strategies, and insufficient integration between heritage policies and tourism initiatives. Against this backdrop, the forum seeks to become a space for dialogue and learning where participants can exchange knowledge, experiences, and proposals that contribute to ensuring the long-term sustainability of these invaluable resources.
The program has been designed to provide a comprehensive perspective on the subject through a range of complementary approaches. The session will begin with an institutional presentation introducing the work carried out by the World Religious Tourism Network and its commitment to promoting responsible tourism that respects local communities and aligns with the principles of cultural sustainability.
The opening presentation will be delivered by Kata Sara Gyuricza Tóth, International Technical Director of the World Religious Tourism Network, who will discuss the role of the organization as a platform for international cooperation dedicated to fostering initiatives that support heritage preservation and the development of tourism experiences linked to spirituality and religion.
The program will then explore the importance of heritage preservation through the contribution of David Muriel Alonso, Project Director of the Fundación Las Edades del Hombre, one of Spain’s leading institutions in the conservation, restoration, and promotion of religious heritage. His presentation will examine how effective heritage management contributes not only to safeguarding the collective memory of communities but also to creating economic and social development opportunities for local territories.
The practical dimension of the event will be addressed through a presentation focused on experiences in the restoration and enhancement of religious heritage. Eva Treer, Director of the Tourism Office of the Archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest, will showcase initiatives developed in Hungary that demonstrate how collaboration among religious institutions, public administrations, and tourism stakeholders can lead to successful heritage revitalization projects.
Through these real-world examples, participants will gain insight into the challenges encountered during such processes, the solutions implemented, and the outcomes achieved, providing a realistic and transferable perspective that may inspire similar initiatives in other destinations.
The event will conclude with a reflection on the role of heritage in shaping the experiences of pilgrims and religious tourists. Adrián Nelson Lomello, Director for the Americas of the World Religious Tourism Network, will analyze how heritage sites serve as spaces for spiritual encounter, cultural discovery, and personal enrichment for millions of people who travel each year motivated by faith or religious interest.
Beyond the transmission of technical knowledge, the organizers emphasize that the forum’s primary objective is to foster dialogue and collective reflection. The preservation of religious heritage requires innovative responses and increasingly close cooperation among cultural managers, religious authorities, public institutions, tourism enterprises, and local communities.
With a total duration of ninety minutes and a fully online format, this initiative reinforces the commitment of the World Religious Tourism Network to promoting knowledge exchange, professional development, and international dialogue around one of the key challenges facing contemporary cultural tourism. Protecting religious heritage not only ensures the conservation of assets of extraordinary historical and artistic value, but also helps keep traditions alive, strengthen territorial identity, and enrich the experiences of those who find in these places a source of inspiration, spirituality, and intercultural understanding.
