Lithuania's rural regions bank on religious tourism

The first international religious tourism forum has been held in Šiluva, a town in northern Lithuania known for its Catholic indulgence ceremony (atlaidai). More than 130 participants from countries including Poland, Uruguay, India, Argentina and Jordan attended. Organisers hope pilgrims will choose to stay in Lithuania for longer and that the country's regions will draw greater attention.

Suleiman Farajat, a professor of cultural tourism at the University of Jordan, said religious tourists have a rather different motivation and are less affected by the geopolitical situation. He noted that interest in this form of tourism is growing rapidly. Forecasts by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation suggest pilgrimage tourism in Europe could grow by 6–7% a year.

Cultural and historical identity

Sigita Maslauskaitė-Mažylienė, Lithuania's ambassador to the Holy See, believes pilgrimage tourism offers a way to present the country's cultural and historical identity. In her view, visitors should hear not only why a Gothic church matters as a pilgrimage site, but also about the Ukrainian flag flying nearby, as the two elements together make the country interesting.

Around 100,000 pilgrims visit Šiluva, in the Raseiniai district, each year, most of them from Poland. Silvija Čižaitė-Rudokienė, head of the Šiluva Pilgrims' Centre, said guests stay at the centre, eat and attend Mass, after which excursions and educational activities are organised.

Cooperation needed

Tourism experts say municipalities with sites that attract pilgrims must cooperate and build a joint offering. Olga Gončarova, head of Lithuania Travel, noted that a traveller is unlikely to come to Šiluva alone, so people need ways to move between places and have experiences along the route.

Religious tourism is not seasonal, and in recent years the average age of travellers has fallen, with most pilgrims now under 50. The main destinations are the regions rather than the capital or major cities.

Foreign tourists typically spend two or three nights in Lithuania. Slower-paced religious tourists interested in itineraries across several municipalities are forecast to stay four or five nights. Up to 1.5 million foreign tourists visited Lithuania last year.