The International Congress on Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage will be organized jointly by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Ministry of Economy of Portugal and the Municipality of Ourém. 

Taking note of the United Nations (UN) declaring 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, the congress will discuss how effective partnerships, in sacred places, can benefit local communities and encourage their sustainable development and socio-economic empowerment in the long run. It will also discuss the need for specific policies for protection and management of religious and sacred sites that take into account the distinct sacred or spiritual value associated with the place, as a key factor for their conservation.

For further information please consult:  http://fatimaiy2017.ourem.pt/

Previous editions:

2016 - Utrecht, The Netherlands http://europe.unwto.org/event/conference-religious-heritage-and-tourism-how-increase-religious-heritage-tourism-changing-soc
2014 - Santiago de Compostela, Spain https://whc.unesco.org/en/events/1188/
2014 - Elche, Spain http://europe.unwto.org/event/international-conference-religious-heritage-and-tourism-types-trends-and-challenges