ABSTRACT
Travel undertaken for religious purposes is currently enjoying a resurgence, although the purely religious aspect is less important than it was in the past, partly because modern societies are less dominated by organised religion. Cultural and religious itineraries traditionally have represented a form of tourism understood as a slow journey of discovery that gradually reveals the local landscape and culture by means of ancient routes whose value is now recognised or in the process of being recognised. This chapter reflects on the sustainable development of religious and spiritual tourism, on the possible measures to adopt and on the forms of support that could help ensure sustainability in environmental, economic and sociocultural terms. It discusses the need for an eco-compatible religious and spiritual tourism that not only improves the quality of life of those who live along routes or in places of spiritual or religious interest but also upholds the values of solidarity, brotherhood and intercultural dialogue.
