Developing pilgrimage itineraries: the Way of St. Francis in Umbria as case in point

Travelling for spiritual and religious reasons is nothing new and indeed may be considered one of the oldest forms of tourism. Religion has long underlay the main urges impelling mankind to undertake journeys, especially non-economic travel. Furthermore, even though religion has always played a key role in the development of leisure time and has influenced how the individual enjoyed it, the growth of religious motivations coincided with the development of modern tourism. Pilgrimages have become much more widespread in the past decades. They now constitute a large sector of international tourism, are more organized and standardized in format and are today one of the most popular displays of human mobility. The latest data from the World Tourist Organization estimated that 330 million travellers visited holy places, with 40 million visiting Italy alone. Holy places strongly attract not only tourists who are interested in their spiritual awakening but also people who are motivated by an interest in history . As more and more religious or spiritual destinations associate well-known holy places with their rich historical and artistic heritage, the two-fold attraction of a holy place and its cultural framework is often the main reason for making a trip .