February is ending really well for Shrines of Europe! On February 22-23, 2024, we were present in the city of Ourem/Fatima (Portugal), where the 20th International Congress on Religious and Sustainable Tourism and the 11th International Workshop on Religious Tourism (IWRT) took place.
The goals of both the conference and workshops are to promote a pool of business contacts among participants and to strengthen the importance of religious tourism in the context of the global tourism sector. The main recipients are tour operators and entrepreneurs from the hotel and tourism industry.
As an association whose one of the goals is to promote destinations - cities of sanctuaries, we felt good in the environment of representatives of the tourism industry.
The inaugural sessions, conference and congress were attended by representatives of local governments, institutions, tour operators, entrepreneurs, students and representatives of science. Leaders in the field of religious tourism also participated in large numbers.
During the congress, we could listen to the voices of experienced experts and learn different points of view about the tourism sector. Discussions, speeches and presentations inspired us to take further action and continue cooperation.
The talks included: on the use of new technologies in tourism, including artificial intelligence, or the development of new tourist routes.
IWRT is an event that should be attended by everyone who is professionally involved in tourism, especially religious tourism. Such meetings are a catalyst for business, a place for exchanging information, the latest trends shaping the future of the industry and building a beneficial network of contacts - especially in these difficult times.
