"Exploring motivations, satisfaction, and loyalty in religious tourism"

Abstract

"Religious tourism attracts many travellers to destinations that should be prepared to accommodate this demand sustainably. This study outlined the following objectives related to religious tourism focused on pilgrimages: (i) to identify the demand factors for religious tourism, (ii) to establish the demand motivations that predict satisfaction with religious tourism, and (iii) to determine the demand motivations that predict loyalty in religious tourism. The research took place in Lima, Peru, during the 2022 Pilgrimage of the Lord of Miracles. A total of 384 valid questionnaires were collected on-site. The main techniques used were factor analysis and multiple regression. The findings reveal five motivational factors in religious pilgrimage tourism: religious experience, belief experience, escape, tourist experience, and shopping. Among these, the most significant factor influencing satisfaction and loyalty is the belief experience, followed by religious experience. These findings will help in developing destinations that host religious pilgrimages and will contribute to the academic literature on religious tourism. © 2026 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group."