Royal Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe

Religious Experiences of Travellers Visiting the Royal Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe (Spain)

A study on the Royal Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and major religious tourism destination in Spain, reveals that religious, cultural, and environmental motivations significantly influence visitors' religious experiences. The research, conducted through interviews with 242 tourists in 2017, classified motivations into five categories—religious, cultural, environmental, social, and educational—and used structural equation modeling to analyze their impact on religious tourism. The model demonstrated strong predictive power (R² = 87.5%), highlighting the interplay between these motivations and visitors' spiritual engagement at this historic site.