Religious tourism promoted

The northern city of Braga says religious tourism accounts for 40 per cent of the city’s lodging and restaurant revenue. TCR Desenvolvimento e Promoção do Turismo Cultural e Religioso is a co-operative established to promote and develop religious tourism in the north of the country, offering programmes under its TUREL brand. TUREL aims to develop pilgrimages to religious shrines in Portugal, and create new religious tourism routes and products. Religious tourism accounts for 26 per cent of the world’s total travel arrangements and Portugal’s strong Catholic heritage could become an important source of revenue – for example, foreign tourists account for 82 per cent of total overnight stays sold in classified lodgings at the Fátima shrine (pictured).