EL TURISMO CULTURAL POR INFLUENCIA RELIGIOSA EN ANDALUCÍA

Introduction: So called religious tourism is a extralegal concept, as Spanish legislation doesn´t consider it. Firstly, neither the legislation that deals with the State Ecclesiastical Law in its state and regional level, refered to places of worship and cultural heritage, doesn´t mention religious tourism specifically, nor Spanish autonomous Communities´ Tourism Legislation. Finally, the State and Autonomous Community legislation of historic, artistic or cultural heritage have failed to devote sufficient attention. Objetives: The aims of this communication are to analyse essential legal concepts of so called religious tourism as an emerging economic activity, with particular focus on the Andalusian and State legal framework. Methodology: Legal methodology requires a historical and conceptual analysis of current law by contrasting two legal groups: on the one hand, the tourist and artistic and historical heritage regulations, and on the other, the signed regulations by the Spanish State and the religious confessions. Conclusions: Three requirements are needed by the legal concept of religious tourism: must be a tourist service, users should be religious believers and service providers must be a tourist company or professional. Religious tourism seems to be a cultural tourism, though must be about users with a religious dimension as believers, which is the differentiating element.