Pilgrimage Tourism in Galicia: A Market Gap Analysis and Communications Strategy

The purpose of this study was to examine the history of pilgrimage tourism and its marketability to a modern consumer. It was also to examine the role of government in promoting tourism activities. Through a case study on el Camino de Santiago and the Xunta de Galicia, I discovered a market gap and created a communications strategy aimed towards closing the gap and smoothing demand fluctuation. Target market research indicated consumer interest and supported the marketing strategy. The study was conducted through historical, statistical, ethnographic, and psychographic research and analysis. The major findings of this study were that the American consumer is not as religiously motivated to travel as their European counterparts. However, they find many other aspects of the pilgrimage experience very appealing. Their lack of interest in the religious aspect of travel experiences segments them into a group that can potentially help flatten demand fluctuation amid Holy Years along el Camino de Santiago. The modernization of the pilgrimage contributes to its movement away from pious tourism towards secular tourism and offers an opportunity for an untapped market to support pilgrimage tourism economies.