Pilgrimage tourism is one of the oldest and most popular types of tourism, but what exactly is pilgrimage tourism, why is it important and where does it take place? This article explains.
What is pilgrimage tourism?
Pilgrimage tourism is essentially the process of visiting pilgrimage sites. These are primarily religious destinations, and can even be said to have formed a very early version of tourism.
Typically, pilgrimages are long journeys taken over days, weeks or even months for religious purposes. They are a whole journey, one that people of faith take in order to strengthen their relationship with their religion. However, pilgrimage tourism can include visits to specific churches or mosques or other religious landmarks in a city that a tourist is visiting on holiday. It doesn’t have to be a long drawn-out journey (a typical pilgrimage), it can be a quick visit that forms part of any other kind of tourism.
In his paper The Issues and Perspectives of Pilgrimage Tourism Development in Thanjavur, S. Vijayanand strengthens this definition of pilgrimage tourism as follows:
Pilgrimage tourism is the type of tourism that entirely or powerfully motivates tourists for the achievement of religious attitude and practices. One of the oldest types of visiting the attractions and a global experience in the olden times of spiritual growth, it can be differentiated into different forms. The temporary religious sightseeing is well-known by excursions to close by pilgrimage centers or religious conferences. The durable implies visits of quite a few days or weeks to nationwide and worldwide pilgrimage sites or conferences.
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Why is pilgrimage tourism important?
When talking about the importance of pilgrimage tourism, we can split this in two. How important is pilgrimage tourism for the destination, and how important is pilgrimage tourism for the pilgrims themselves?
For the pilgrims
Traditional pilgrimages are important to many people. They are linked to almost all religions across the globe; people travel to certain destinations to experience religious enlightenment. The journey itself, often long and sometimes difficult, is a chance to reflect. Whether taken alone or in a group, a pilgrimage is something that helps people in some way. This might be something people choose to do after a loss: time alone on a journey to somewhere spiritual can help with the process of healing.
Others undertake a pilgrimage because they want to change their life in some way. Days of walking and reflection can help people to make difficult decisions, such as changing career, and many pilgrims describe the experience as life-changing.
Pilgrimages can also be a way for people to deepen their relationship with their religion. It is a way of showing dedication to their faith, certainly, and it is a chance to learn more about the religion itself. Pilgrimages tend to echo the footsteps of prominent figures from different religions, or they end at somewhere that is very significant.
Another reason why pilgrimages are so important to so many people is that it can be a chance to ask for forgiveness of, or seek a favour from, the deity they worship. Because the destination tends to be such a holy place, many people believe that praying here means prayers made there are more likely to be answered.
For the destination
Pilgrimage tourism is all about going somewhere. There are many destinations that are popular with pilgrims, as they hold such significance for different religions. As with any type of tourism, pilgrimage tourism has a huge economic impact. Some pilgrimage destinations and locations rely entirely on this kind of tourism for their income. This, in turn, is passed on to the surrounding areas. B&Bs get bookings, restaurants see more foot traffic, local shops gain customers. Jobs are created: for tour guides, for people making handmade souvenirs, for photographers and so much more.
NBC News says: Religious travel generates at least $8 billion a year for shrine-centered economies and provides employment for thousands, according to academics — and being able to measure the celestial and spiritual elements of pilgrimage in monetary terms is far from a modern phenomenon; it’s as ancient as the act of spiritual travel itself.
The scale of pilgrimage tourism today is huge. According to the Saudi General Authority for Statistics, 1,673,230 pilgrims performed the Hajj in 2025; more than 33 million pilgrims visited Rome during the Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year; and the Camino de Santiago set a new record in 2025, with more than 500,000 pilgrims collecting their Compostela certificate.
It is also important in that it allows people who work at these religious pilgrimage destinations to share their faith. This is a big thing for many.
Many destinations see day-visitors too. That is, people who have not undertaken a long journey to get there (i.e the pilgrimage itself) but who still want to visit the location as a tourist. This brings even more money into the local economy.
Non-religious pilgrimages
It should be mentioned that the term ‘pilgrimage’ does not always have to be used in relation to religious destinations. The term can often just mean someone going somewhere that is *really* special to them for one specific reason. This is more of a personal pilgrimage. It is still a type of tourism, of course! Examples include Elvis superfans visiting Graceland, or someone travelling to another country to finally watch their favourite football team in action.
Popular pilgrimage tourism destinations
Some of the world’s most important pilgrimage destinations are outlined below.
Lourdes
Located in southwestern France, Lourdes is one of the most popular Catholic pilgrimage sites in the world. It rose to prominence in 1858, when a 14-year-old peasant girl, Bernadette Soubirous, reported seeing apparitions of the Virgin Mary in a grotto. Millions of people visit every year, mostly between March and October, and many bathe in or drink the spring water from the grotto, which is believed to have healing properties. Thousands of cures have been reported, but only around 70 have been officially recognised as miracles by the Catholic Church.
Mecca
Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, is Islam’s holiest city. The pilgrimage here is known as the Hajj, and it takes place once a year during the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah. It is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, and all adult Muslims are expected to perform it at least once in their lifetime if they are physically and financially able to do so. The rituals take around five to six days. Saudi Arabia sets quotas for pilgrims from each country, and extreme heat is a growing risk- more than 1,300 pilgrims died during the Hajj in 2024, many of them unregistered pilgrims without access to air-conditioned facilities. Muslims can also perform the Umrah, a shorter pilgrimage, at any time of year.
Camino de Santiago
There are several routes (such as the Camino Francés, the Camino Portugués and the Camino del Norte), but all lead to the shrine of the apostle Saint James the Great in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, located in Galicia, Spain. His remains are said to be buried here. The Camino is one of the best examples of pilgrimage tourism, attracting both religious and non-religious walkers from all over the world. Pilgrims stay in hostels (albergues) and guesthouses along the way, and the routes are marked with yellow arrows and scallop shells, the symbol of the pilgrimage. Pilgrims who walk at least the last 100 km (or cycle the last 200 km) can collect a certificate, the Compostela.
Lumbini
Lumbini in Nepal is the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama, who became the Buddha, making it one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Buddhism. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997, it attracts Buddhist pilgrims from India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar and beyond. Pilgrims visit the Maya Devi Temple, which marks the spot where he is believed to have been born, the sacred pond where his mother is said to have bathed, and the Ashoka Pillar, erected in 249 BC.
Western Wall
Also known as the Wailing Wall, the Western Wall is located in the Old City of Jerusalem. It is the holiest place where Jewish people are permitted to pray, as it is part of the retaining wall around the Temple Mount, the site of the ancient Jewish Temple. Under long-standing arrangements known as the ‘status quo’, non-Muslim prayer has been restricted on the Temple Mount itself (known to Muslims as the Haram al-Sharif, home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque). Visitors pray at the wall and place written prayers in the cracks between its stones.
Jerusalem is sacred to Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Other major pilgrimage sites include the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Via Dolorosa (for Christians), the Mount of Olives and Mount Zion.
Bethlehem
Located in the West Bank, in the Palestinian territories, Bethlehem is the birthplace of Jesus according to the Bible, which is why so many Christians are keen to visit. The Church of the Nativity, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, contains a grotto said to mark the exact place of Jesus’ birth. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, around 2 million people visited each year, but tourism has been severely affected by the conflict since October 2023.
Medjugorje
Medjugorje is a town in Bosnia and Herzegovina that has become a major Catholic pilgrimage site since 1981, when six young people reported seeing apparitions of the Virgin Mary. It attracts more than a million visitors a year. In 2024, the Vatican gave its approval for public devotion at Medjugorje, although it did not rule on whether the apparitions themselves were supernatural.
Vatican City
Vatican City is the spiritual centre of the Catholic Church and home to the Pope (since May 2025, Pope Leo XIV). Many Catholics come here to pray, attend a papal audience or Mass in St Peter’s Square, and see St Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. During the 2025 Jubilee Year, more than 33 million pilgrims visited Rome.
Pilgrimage tourism: FAQs
Below are answers to some of the most common questions about pilgrimage tourism.
What is pilgrimage tourism?
Pilgrimage tourism is travel to sites of religious or spiritual significance, such as Mecca, Lourdes, Santiago de Compostela or Lumbini. It can involve a long journey on foot or a shorter visit to a holy site, and it is one of the oldest forms of tourism.
What is the largest pilgrimage in the world?
The Kumbh Mela in India is often described as the largest gathering of people on earth- around 660 million people attended the Maha Kumbh Mela in 2025, according to the Uttar Pradesh government. The Hajj to Mecca is the largest annual pilgrimage, with more than 1.6 million pilgrims in 2025.
How many people walk the Camino de Santiago?
The Camino de Santiago set a new record in 2025, with more than 500,000 pilgrims receiving their Compostela certificate from the Pilgrim’s Office in Santiago de Compostela.
Why is pilgrimage tourism important?
For pilgrims, it offers a chance to deepen their faith, reflect and seek healing or forgiveness. For destinations, it brings significant income and jobs, supports local businesses such as guesthouses and restaurants, and helps to fund the upkeep of religious sites.
Can a pilgrimage be non-religious?
Yes. The word pilgrimage is also used for journeys to places with deep personal meaning, such as music fans visiting Graceland, or for long-distance walks like the Camino de Santiago taken for personal, cultural or physical reasons rather than faith.
Pilgrimage tourism- further reading
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