Tourism of faith gains momentum
The commitment to a religious faith tourism that complements the site is penetrating the city. In less than a year since its opening to visits outside worship hours, the co-cathedral of Santa María has received more than 10,000 visits. His parish priest, Antonio Becerra, released this information last week during a press conference to announce that the city council has published 6,000 informative triptychs on the co-cathedral and the Basilica of Santa Eulalia, which has also been open to the public since May 2018.
To make the inclusion of both temples in the tourist itinerary a reality, the consistory took the necessary steps to reach an understanding with the Archbishopric of Mérida-Badajoz and the Monumental City Consortium. The delegate of Tourism, Pilar Amor, said during the presentation of the triptychs that religious tourism captures two profiles of visitors, such as “on the one hand those whose motivation is related to faith and religiosity”, and on the other that of the tourist that “visit the places of worship to enjoy its rich architectural, artistic and cultural heritage.”
To date, the cathedral of Santa María de Mérida has received more than 10,000 visits since it was decided to open the temple to visitors outside of worship hours in November of last year.
In this sense, the delegate stressed that the government team’s commitment to this type of tourism “is being supported” by the increase in the number of tourists visiting both the Santa Eulalia basilica and the Santa María co-cathedral. In fact, the publication of these triptychs is not the only action that the consistory is carrying out in order to promote faith tourism.
Turning Merida into a destination for pilgrimages around the figure of Santa Eulalia is one of the main objectives in which the local government works, together with the linked groups. The focus is already on achieving a Jubilee Year, the appointment of Santa Eulalia as Patroness of the Youth of Spain and the creation of a center for Eulalians studies. These and other questions will be dealt with in an Eulaliense Council that will be constituted soon.
