Religious Tourism in the South-Moravian and Zlín Regions: Proposal for Three New Pilgrimage Routes

Abstract

This article contains results of the research on religious tourism in the South Moravian and Zlín regions. The aim of this research was to identify new pilgrimage routes. The methodology was based on the implementation of survey interviewers and the design of religious and cultural tourism conceptual strategy. There were 1222 respondents participating in the survey interviewers. The results show that 58% of them consider 'religious tourism' a visit to pilgrimage places not just by believers and that 43% of respondents have never been to any pilgrimage. The conceptual strategy focused on the assessment of tourism potential of selected sites and designed 3 new pilgrimage routes: 1) Vranov - Křtiny - Velehrad; 2) Mikulov - Břeclav - Mikulčice (connection of St. Jacobs Route and European Cultural Route of St. Cyril and Methodius) and 3) Radhošt' - Rajnochovice - Svatý Hostýn. Three priorities that may serve as a framework for the development of religious tourism in the South Moravian and Zlín regions were set as well.