Motivations for the Demand for Religious Tourism: The Case of the Pilgrimage of the Virgin of Montserrat in Ecuador

Abstract

Religious tourism is one of the oldest forms of mobility for travel. This study aims at validating the motivational dimensions of demand in religious tourism. The present research was carried out with tourists who had attended the pilgrimage of the Virgin of Montserrat in the city of Montecristi (Ecuador), an important tourist destination that stands out for its culture and intangible heritage. This quantitative study had a sample of 298 valid questionnaires that were analyzed through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The results identified five motivational dimensions: experience belief, experience religion, social exploration, escape, and shopping. The results will serve as a guide for private companies to develop products from religious tourism. Likewise, the research contributes significantly to the academic literature on religious tourism in emerging destinations.

1. Introduction

Religious tourism is considered a recurring phenomenon in the history of religion [1]. The links between tourism and religion vary according to destinations and contribute to the sites, visitors, and locals [2]. For this reason, Collins-Kreiner [3] mentions that it is one of the oldest forms of mobility globally and that despite the global crisis we had, this type of tourism will have future growth.

Based on Future Market Insights research global [4], religious tourism revenue could reach USD 41 billion by 2033. An estimated 330 million people travel annually for religious reasons, as reported by the World Tourism Organization, United Nations, which makes this sector an important market for countries with spiritual or sacred attractions [4]. In this sense, Tomljenović and Dukić [5] explained that religious tourism encompasses several activities, such as pilgrimages, missionary trips, or religious events. Therefore, these trips encompass pilgrimages as well as tourist visits to significant historical and religious sites throughout the year. In this regard, religious tourism contributes to the development of recreational activities in destinations with religious and cultural attractions. [6].

Religious tourism, traditionally known as the way people of a particular faith travel to visit places of religious significance [7], such as sacred sites, cathedrals, and any significant ecclesiastical building [8], is also considered a type of cultural tourism with historical, architectural, and artistic components [9]. Thus, Kim et al. [4] defined religious tourism as travel associated with religious purposes or orientation. This way, religious tourism recognizes in pilgrimage the need for experiences based on a spiritual search [10]. At the same time, religious motivations have a marked intention to participate in pilgrimages or visit religious sites at some point in their lives [4].

In the context of the demand for religious tourism, studying motivations is crucial for developing a destination. In this sense, Pearce et al. [11] defined tourist motivations as the global network of integration of the biological and cultural forces that give value and direction to travel behavior and experience. Therefore, motivations are also considered a key factor when deciding to take a trip [12]. It should be noted that religion is one of the most common motivations for traveling in tourism [3]. In religious tourism, there are two main groups of motivations, and these are religious and secular or non-religious [13]. The first are related to faith, and the secular ones can include tourism, culture, or shopping.

At present, there are studies that address the motivations in religious tourism but with several criteria. However, no study has been found that develops and validates a scale of motivations in religious tourism pilgrimages. We have found that there are studies on pilgrimages in religious tourism but with varied results, which is why the literature is still too scarce for trying to understand the motivational dimensions of religious tourism. Consequently, proposing a validated scale can shed light on the academic literature and contribute to the development of destinations with religious attractions. As a result of this research problem, the present work, based on the case study of the pilgrimage to the Virgin of Montserrat in Ecuador, aims to develop and validate a scale of motivations for religious tourism focused on pilgrimages in South America with traditional Christian devotions.

Despite significant advances in understanding the motivations for pilgrimage, existing research still lacks specific and robust instruments to measure this phenomenon in diverse cultural and demographic contexts adequately. Most of the scales used so far have been adapted from general motivation studies without considering the particularities and depth that pilgrimage as a spiritual and cultural practice can imply. This study addresses this important gap by developing and validating a new scale specifically designed to assess motivations for pilgrimage. This instrument not only provides a tool more tailored to the unique characteristics of pilgrimage but also establishes a methodological basis for future research, allowing a more precise comparison between different populations of pilgrims and a better interpretation of their motivations. Additionally, the results will contribute as management guides for administrators of destinations where religious tourism occurs and as a contribution to the academic literature.

2. Literature Review

2.1. Religious Tourism

Religion and tourism have an important connection that derives from thousands of sacred buildings. However, the main interest in traveling is attributed more to culture and historical values, such as heritage elements [14]. Pilgrimages are an ancient way of traveling that is still important today. Along these lines, Durán et al. [15] mentioned that religious tourism begins when people undertake a journey for reasons of faith, known as a pilgrimage, where the pilgrim is considered a tourist. In this sense, religious tourism has been one of the most common motivations for traveling throughout history [3].

Thus, Wang et al. [16] agreed that tourism and religion have always been connected and are an attraction for different types of visitors because they originate from strong traditions and faith; these authors also mention that religious tourism has received much attention thanks to its effects on economic development, social culture, and residents’ perceived value. In this sense, Liro [17] argued that this sector is considered one of the most developed in the new millennium thanks to its sociocultural activities in a globalized world. Therefore, Najib et al. [18] stated that conducting studies on religious tourism is important because it can help improve travel services and better elucidate this type of tourism.

Pilgrimage is one of the oldest forms of human mobility that continues to this day. In virtually all religions, parishioners consider some spaces more sacred or wholesome than the daily life environment and, therefore, worth visiting [19]. Examples include pilgrimages to the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico and the “Hajj”, a traditional trip to Mecca that Muslims make at least once in their lives [20]. Pilgrimages can vary in size and duration depending on the location of the sanctuaries relative the place of origin of the pilgrims and may be international, regional, national, or local. The main difference between trips of religious tourism format and pilgrimages is that in pilgrimages, people travel to a certain sanctuary or sacred place with important religious connotations, normally forming a stream of people. On the other hand, in religious tourism, in addition to pilgrimages, individual or group tourist and cultural visits are also made to places of relics, churches, sanctuaries, religious structures, or other religious objects.

2.2. Motivations in Religious Tourism

Many New World shrines arose when miracles were attributed to a newly acquired relic or image of Mary, Christ, or a saint [21]. The pilgrimage sanctuaries of Latin America from pre-Columbian times to the present have been linked to notable geographical features, such as caves, springs, rivers, and mountains. These landscapes are associated with divine forces, whether indigenous or European, and have been ritualized or sacred through the creation of sanctuaries there [22].

Motivations explain why human beings behave in a certain way [23]. Also, Yolal et al. [12] defined motivation as a central factor in the decision-making process. These factors are the set of conscious or unconscious biological, psychological, or social stimuli that drive individuals to act [24], which, in the case of the context of this research, consists of the motivations for traveling for religious tourism.

The motivations for religious tourism revolve around tourists’ beliefs in supernatural powers and beliefs in rituals and emotional aspects [25]. However, in recent studies, religious tourism has evolved beyond visitors’ motivations and now considers their identities, such as religious affiliations, individuals, and religiosity [4]. The motivations for traveling to sacred sites and their complexity are institutionally constructed, dynamic, and progressive, which is influenced by the intimate and emerging relationship of believers with holy places and religion [26]. According to their motivations and needs, tourists are generally divided into pilgrims and secular tourists [27]. The former is motivated by religious reasons, and the latter prefers to participate in religious rituals, festivals, and rituals in sacred places [1].

Regarding the previous findings on motivations in religious tourism, our research initiated with the study authored by Božic et al. [28], who studied the main reasons for visiting Vujan Monastery in Serbia and found that religious reasons were more relevant than secular ones. That is to say, the sacred visit was more important than carrying out other non-religious activities such as shopping or tourist visits in general. The scholars indicated that the reasons for visiting the church fell into two main types: religious and non-religious or secular (architecture, culture, and history). In religious tourism, the sacred place is visited during the trip, but it is not the final destination. It is formed by tourism that stands out for aspects of religious knowledge or simply for aspects of knowledge [29,30].

Another study by Gutic et al. [9] found that visitors were motivated by spirituality, architecture, and the history of the Chichester Cathedral in England. In a study conducted at St. David’s Cathedral in Wales, the authors found that visitors were primarily motivated by historical and architectural aspects rather than religious ones [31]. Furthermore, Robenstorf and Körs [32] in German and Swiss cities conducted a study on the motivations for visiting their churches. They identified that the building’s historical origin, architecture, and atmosphere are more important than its religious factors. Based on Dann’s [33] push and pull theory, the authors argued that religious beliefs and mental relaxation can be classified as push factors, while cultural enjoyment is a pull factor. Likewise, in research on the Divine Mercy Shrine in Krakow (Poland), Liro et al. [17] highlighted three types of tourist motivations: religious, touristic, and recreational; furthermore, they analyzed their intrinsic relationships and the facilities of this pilgrimage center.

In another study, Pillai et al. [25] studied the exhibition of the holy relics of Saint Francis Xavier in Goa (India). They found the following motivational dimensions: religious experience, social exploration, escape, experience of belief, and shopping. Meanwhile, on a pilgrimage to the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Amaro et al. [34] found eight motivational factors of religious tourism: religious, spiritual, new experiences, cultural, nature and sports, escape from routine, meeting new people and places, and fulfilling the promise. In the same way, they identified that most pilgrims are motivated by spiritual aspects, new experiences, experiences with nature, or some sport. A study carried out in Spain researched the motivations for visits to the Royal Monastery of Guadalupe. The authors Robina and Pulido [35] classified these motivations into five factors: religious, cultural, environmental, social, and educational, where there was a higher percentage of influence from religious, cultural, and environmental motivations at the time of religious tourism.

Abbate and Di Nuovo [36], in their study on the motivations for visiting the Medjugorje Sanctuary (Bosnia and Herzegovina), identified that motivation focuses predominantly on the need for discovery in men and socialization in women. They found that women’s motivation centers on the need for socialization and men’s on discovery. On the other hand, in the research carried out in the Monastery of Guadalupe, Spain, Robina and Férnandez [37] found the following motivational factors in religious tourism: cultural, educational, environmental, and rural.

In a study in Trondheim (Norway), Vistad et al. [38] revealed eight motivational dimensions: the inner self, the religious self, knowing places and local heritage, slow travel, nature knowledge and joy, exercising in nature, hiking together, and being alone. The academics identified that pilgrimages are made slowly through quiet environments to reflect on life and enjoy contact with the local population and heritage. Likewise, Riegel and Linder [39] found six dimensions in Germany that motivate visiting a church: religion, learning and interest, relaxation and recreation, the site’s popularity, social contact, and social learning. Likewise, Liro [40], regarding the reasons for visiting eight of the most famous Roman Catholic shrines in Poland, classified the motivations of religious tourists according to their importance into five factors: religious motivations, tourist motivations, recreation, social and family motivation, and commercial and shopping motivation. A recent study by academics Carvache-Franco et al. [41] found five motivations for attending the Christ of Miracles pilgrimage in Lima, Peru: religious experience, belief experience, escape, touristic experience, and shopping.

In summary, the literature indicates that there are no standardized motivations in various subcategories of religious tourism, such as religious exhibitions, visiting a church or temple, and pilgrimages. Studies on pilgrimages in religious tourism have shown results with varied motivations. Several investigations have found religious and non-religious motivations for visits. However, religious beliefs, cultural enjoyment, relaxation, escape, history, and architecture are the most common motivations. Therefore, to contribute to science and achieve homogeneous results, it is necessary to develop and validate a scale that proposes a construct of motivations in religious tourism focused on pilgrimages (see

Table 1. Motivations of religious tourism.

Author	Year of Publication	Religious Event	Motivations
Gutic et al. [9]	2010	To visit the Chichester Cathedral in England	Spirituality, architecture, and history
Francis L.J. [31]	2012	To visit St. David’s Cathedral in Wales	Historical and architectural aspects rather than religious ones
Abbate and Di Nuovo [36]	2013	To visit the Medjugorje Sanctuary (Bosnia-Herzegovina)	The need for discovery in men and socialization in women.
Božic et al. [28]	2016	To visit Vujan Monastery in Serbia	Religious and non-religious or secular (architecture, culture, and history)
Pillai et al. [25]	2017	To visit the exhibition of the holy relics of Saint Francis Xavier in Goa (India)	Religious experience, social exploration, escape, experience of belief, and shopping.
Robenstorf and Körs [32]	2018	To visit churches in German and Swiss cities	Building’s historical origins, architecture, and atmosphere are more important than religious reasons
Liro et al. [17]	2018	To visit the Divine Mercy Shrine in Krakow (Poland)	Religious, touristic, and recreational
Amaro et al. [34]	2018	Pilgrimage to the Camino de Santiago de Compostela	Religious, spiritual, new experiences, cultural, nature and sports, escape from routine, meeting new people and places, and fulfilling the promise
Robina and Pulido [35]	2018	To visit the Royal Monastery of Guadalupe, Spain.	Religious, cultural, environmental, social, and educational, where a there is a higher percentage of influence from religious, cultural, and environmental motivations at the time of religious tourism
Riegel and Linder [39]	2020	To visit a church in Germany	Religion, learning and interest, relaxation and recreation, the site’s popularity, social contact, and social learning
Robina and Férnandez [37]	2020	To visit the Monastery of Guadalupe, Spain	Cultural, educational, environmental, and rural
Vistad et al. [38]	2020	To visit Trondheim (Norway)	The inner self, the religious self, knowing places and local heritage, slow travel, nature knowledge and joy, exercising in nature, hiking together, and being alone
Liro et al. [40]	2021	To visit eight of the most famous Roman Catholic shrines in Poland	Religious motivations, tourist motivations, recreation, social and family motivation, and commercial and shopping motivation
Carvache-Franco et al. [41]	2024	To attend the Christ of Miracles pilgrimage in Lima, Peru	Religious experience, belief experience, escape, touristic experience, and shopping

).

3. Methodology

3.1. Context of the Virgin of Montserrat Pilgrimage in Ecuador

The city of Montecristi is located on the Ecuadorian coast, specifically in the province of Manabí. It was built during the colonial era between 1536 and 1537, along with residents of city of Manta who fled their lands due to pirate attacks. Montecristi was the birthplace of Ecuador’s Liberal Revolution and was one of the main cities that joined the revolution of 9 October 1820, which broke colonial ties.

The history of the Virgin of Montserrat in Ecuador dates back to the Spanish conquest. It is said that the image of the Virgin was a gift from Emperor Carlos V to the conqueror Francisco Pizarro, who took it to Lima, Peru. However, the image disappeared and was found in 1542 in Montecristi by a group of farmers who took it to the city church. The image was highly venerated by the inhabitants of Montecristi. In 1565, a basilica was built in honor of the Virgin of Montserrat, and it became an important pilgrimage center. Many miracles are attributed to the Virgin of Montserrat, and she also is considered a protector of the faithful. In 1788, the Virgin of Montserrat was declared patroness of the province of Manabí.

The artisans of the local population make various handicrafts based on ceramics and plastics. A world icon is the handwoven hats made with “toquilla straw” (Carludovica palmata), whose manufacturing process can last between one to eight months, depending on its elegance and finesse. They are usually exported to Panama and have been internationalized under the “Panama Hat” name. This name originated at the time of the construction of the Panama Canal, where many Americans acquired them without knowing that their actual origin was Montecristi, Ecuador. The “Panama Hat” was inscribed in 2012 on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The city of Montecristi is considered the religious capital of Manabí. Visitors can admire the Minor Basilica of the Virgin of Montserrat, the main attraction for pilgrims, where thousands of parishioners arrive every year. Before the pandemic, it was estimated that more than 50,000 people attended pilgrimages annually [42]. In addition, the so-called “Pilgrimage to the Temple of the Virgin” is held annually every November 21 and mobilizes about one hundred thousand people. This religious festival dates back to the 17th century. The image venerated during the tour was a gift from Emperor Carlos V to expand the Catholic religion. The destination administrators are aware that one of the main tourist attractions of the city is the procession and the visit to the Basilica of the Virgin of Montserrat. Therefore, they are interested in creating management plans based on religious and cultural tourism. The majority of inhabitants and their visitors are Christians and devotees of the Virgin of Montserrat, which is why there is great interest in highlighting this tourist attraction. In Ecuador, there are other destinations that inspire religious pilgrimages, such as: The Procession of the Virgin of Agua Santa, The Virgin of Cisne, Christ of Consuelo, and The Lord of Good Hope, among others. That is to say, Ecuador is a country that has several pilgrimage destinations in different parts of the country, which establishes a potential for religious and cultural tourism.

3.2. Survey, Data Collection, and Analysis

The methodology to achieve the objective of developing and validating a scale of motivations in religious tourism focused on pilgrimages was based on data collection through a survey of an online sample with the help of the Forms Microsoft digital tool. A questionnaire was developed from an extensive literature review related to the religious motivations of different cities and their loyalty. The questionnaire requested the written consent of the respondents and was ethically approved by the ESPOL University of Ecuador. For the approval of this study, informed consent was required, protecting the privacy and anonymity of the participants. Also, the research protocol makes reference to the ethical considerations that were applicable.

This instrument contained eight questions divided into three sections. The first section contained the sociodemographic aspects of the religious visitor. The questions were seven closed types, adapted from the study by Lee et al. [43]. The second part of the questionnaire dealt with the motivations for religious travel, which was analyzed through 20 items (which were adapted from the study by Pillai et al. [25]); the questions were measured on a 5-point Likert scale (from 1: not very important to 5: very important). It was not necessary to ask for the consent of the authors who, with their previous works, served as a guide to prepare the questionnaire used because the questions used were not the same as those published, but they did serve as a guide for the adaptation of the new questions and were later approved by a team of experts made up of the authors of this study and other specialized academics. A pilot test was conducted to detect errors and technically improve and validate the questionnaire. With this pilot test, several questions were corrected in wording and form so that they would be understood by the target group of study. The Cronbach’s alpha of the scale reached a value of α = 0.893, which meant a meritorious internal consistency between the scale elements.

At the end of the procession, surveyors approached the pilgrims to invite them to complete a survey for the benefit of local tourism development and to enhance the experience of tourists attending the procession. Once they accepted the invitation, the survey form was sent to them via WhatsApp or Facebook. The study population contributed to the academic and sustainable development of the research, which was developed autonomously. Because data collection was based on a self-report questionnaire, we took special care in its design to avoid or minimize common method variance (CMV) [44,45], which is usually affected by the complexity of the measures, the context of the location of the items, and how the scale is presented. Therefore, the construction of the items was systematically examined to avoid ambiguous, vague, and unknown terms [46].

Before analyzing the results, Harman’s unifactorial test was applied, entering all the items of the constructs in the exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The result was a multifactorial solution, where the first factor explained 28.72% of the total variance, which was lower than the 50% threshold; CMV was therefore unlikely to be a drawback [45]. Therefore, it could be inferred that methodological bias was acceptable and that the data collected were ready for further analysis.

The data collection process was online from December 2021 to February 2022 for tourists who visited the procession of the Virgin of Montserrat. Data quality control was restricted to ensure respondents only sent the questionnaire once. In addition, we reviewed outliers and some missing data. Because there are no official data about the visitors to the Pilgrimage of the Virgin of Montserrat, the infinite population (set of elements that has no limit in terms of size.) formula was used to calculate the sample. As a result, 298 valid participants out of 321 respondents were used for the final analysis.

The unidimensionality assumptions (each indicator measured in the analysis is influenced by a single underlying factor or latent construct) [47] were verified in the first data analysis stage to determine if there was an adequate distribution for factor analysis using the Kaiser–Mayer–Olkin (KMO) test. According to Hutcheson and Sofroniou [48], KMO values between 0.7 and 0.8 are considered good, with a value of 1 being a perfect positive correlation. In our study, the KMO values of the items ranged from 0.611 to 0.915, with an average value of 0.856. Therefore, the statistical index was considered an acceptable value to verify the proportion of the variance of the items that a latent variable can explain. Likewise, Bartlett’s sphericity test was applied, revealing a significant value of [x² = 3922.763; df = 496; p ˂ 0.001], exceeding the suggested minimum of 0.6 [49] and indicating adequate data for factorization.

We also performed the commonality test on each item to validate the variables’ correlation toward each observable factor. Thus, the higher the communality value, the stronger the explanation of the items that make up the factor. For example, the values range from 0.423 for “To accompany friends or family” to 0.829 for “To experience the holy atmosphere”.

The absence of a theoretical model on the motivations of religious tourism in emerging destinations such as Montecristi allowed us to develop an exploratory factorial analysis. In this type of analysis, it is required that the explained variance be higher than 50%. In our study, the accumulated variance was 67%, exceeding the desirable criterion of 60% [46]. In addition, the maximum likelihood was applied to the model as a technique to reduce the variables and a Promax rotation to facilitate data interpretation.

Once the factor extraction was performed, 20 of the 22 initial elements were retained. The items “To appreciate and experience ancient architecture” and “To share the experience with other believers/pilgrims” were eliminated from the model because their factor loading was less than 0.5. This may have occurred because these elements were too obvious or redundant, and therefore, they might not have added additional value to the model and were considered unnecessary. However, we recognized their theoretical relevance based on existing literature and that their elimination could create a gap in the theoretical interpretation of the model. Therefore, although the items may appear redundant from a statistical perspective, their theoretical importance could justify their inclusion in some manner, such as part of a secondary or qualitative analysis that complements the quantitative findings

A 20-item model with five factors emerged after iterative rounds of EFAs, and each factor was named based on the nominal value of the manifest variables. Figure 1 shows the five factors that were determined before the unit. We used Cronbach’s alpha to assess the internal reliability of the statements. All factors were considered acceptable and significantly above the minimum threshold of 0.70, signifying good reliability of derived constructs and internal consistency [50].

We applied an exploratory factor analysis based on maximum likelihood to reduce the variables to a smaller number of factors that express the same information and a Promax (oblique) rotation that facilitates the interpretation of the data. The results show the factoriality of the data and determine a pentafactorial model that obtained internal structure validity.

Additionally, we performed a preliminary analysis to assess the normality of the data set. Skewness values ranged from −1.841 (standard error = 0.141) to −0.052 (standard error = 0.141), while kurtosis values ranged from 4.368 (standard error = 0.281) to −0.064 (standard error = 0.281), showing acceptable levels below 3.0 and 8.0 for skewness and kurtosis, respectively, suggesting univariate normality of the measurement instrument [51].

A confirmatory factor analysis was implemented to determine the psychometric validity of the instrument. Finally, statistical software tools such as SPSS version 25, Japs, and G power 3.1 were used to analyze the data.

4. Results

4.1. Sociodemographic Aspects

The sample (N= 298) included women (n = 213; 71.5%) and men (n = 85; 28.5%). Regarding age, the majority group was between 21 and 30 years old (n = 134; 45.0%), followed by the group between 18 and 20 years old (n = 125; 41.9%). The age range continued with groups between 41 and 50 years old (n = 18; 5.9%) and between 31 and 40 years old (n =16; 5.3%). Over three-quarters of the participants were single (n = 259; 86.9%), and 9.7% were married. Most had undertaken university studies (n = 232; 77.9%), and to a lesser extent, 17.1% had high school studies; only 4.7% had a master’s degree/Ph.D. More than three-quarters of those surveyed like to travel with their family (64.8%) and friends (17.1%).

The sociodemographic profile of our sample is consistent with the characteristics of typical religious tourists attending the pilgrimage of the Virgin of Montserrat in Montecristi. This was established by comparing the results of the study by Rivas Cedeño, L. L. [52], carried out in the Pilgrimage of the Virgin of Montserrat, where the attendees had similarities such as gender; there was a predominance of women (52%); attendees had similar ages, where the majority group was between 18 and 30 years of age (51.30%); and they had a level of university education (53%), all similar to the sample analyzed for the present study. This is crucial, as it validates that our sample accurately represents the target population for this study. Understanding the sociodemographic context helps us to accurately interpret the motivational dimensions identified in the study.

4.2. Motivation for Religious Tourism

The five factors that motivate visiting a religious destination demonstrate a solid underlying structure that can be considered as environmental factors embedded into the behavior of the religious tourist.

The first factor, “experience belief”, explains to a greater extent the motivations of tourists who visit Montecristi. It showed 29.06% of the variance. In addition, the pilgrims have a recurrent behavior at the time of complying with this religious act each year to experience the sacred atmosphere, redeem himself of herself, and pay homage to the relics of the Virgin of Montserrat. The percentage of devout people was not found in the survey conducted in this study. However, the reasons reflect the main purpose of traveling to and visiting a destination. Therefore, the fact that the most important factor was related to devotion indicates that a significant percentage of visitors are devout and traveled to a religious place out of devotion. In addition, the items that make up the first factor are the most correlated among themselves and are the ones that best explain the total variance. Therefore, there was a significant percentage of devout visitors who had religious belief motives.

The second factor, “experience religion”, showed 11.61% of the variance. It is related to the intention of getting to know a different culture, feeling at peace, and appreciating the characteristics of the churches. The third factor, “social exploration”, obtained a variance of 15.74%. These include reasons associated with the social part of traveling with friends and family and having the opportunity to get to know and experience tourism in Montecristi during vacations. This factor also contains an educational factor because many travel to learn about the destination visited and its tourist and cultural aspects. The fourth factor, “escape”, showed 5.46% of the variance. This motivation is a behavior associated with the desire to reduce daily stress, escape routine, and alleviate habits and city boredom. The last factor, no less important, is the so-called “shopping”, which explains that the commercial reasons for which a tourist makes the pilgrimage to Montecristi are associated with purchasing local and religious products. The results are shown in

Table 2. Exploratory Factor Analysis religion motivation.

Measurement Items	Loading	Eigenvalue	Variance Explained %	α
Experience Belief		6.379	29.069	0.939
EB1: For religious fulfillment	0.926
EB2: To experience the holy atmosphere	0.917
EB3: To pay respect to the Saint’s relics	0.905
EB4: To redeem me	0.805
EB5: To fulfill a life-long desire	0.797
Experience Religion		3.471	11.618	0.905
ER1: To seek spiritual comfort	0.923
ER2: To experience the mystery of religion	0.869
ER3: To seek peace	0.838
ER4: To experience a different culture	0.775
ER5: To appreciate/experience the grandeur of the church	0.615
Social Exploration		2.398	15.747	0.834
SE1: For a holiday	0.823
SE2: It is a chance to see Montecristi	0.745
SE3: Sightseeing	0.742
SE4: To satisfy my curiosity	0.664
SE5: To accompany friends or family	0.502
Escape		1.607	5.460	0.882
ES1: To relieve daily stress	0.950
ES2: To relieve boredom	0.841
ES3: To escape from routine life	0.752
Shopping		1.101	5.067	0.829
SH1: To purchase local products	0.866
SH2: To purchase religious items	0.784

Note: Applied rotation method = Promax. Additional fit indices: RMSEA = 0.061; TLI = 0.942. Bartlett’s test: $x^2$= 3922.763; df = 190.000; p ≤ 0.001. Chi-squared test: $x^2$= 211.710; df = 100; p ≤ 0.001. Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin test = 0.856.

.

The results described in Table 2 respond to our research question: What are the motivational dimensions of the demand for religious tourism? The study found that the motivational dimensions of religious tourism demand are experience belief, experience religion, social exploration, escape, and shopping.

4.3. Construct Validity

We performed a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to validate the psychometric properties of the motivation measurement scale. According to Hair et al. [47], to evaluate the convergent validity of the model, it is necessary to observe the estimates of the coefficients. The results in

Table 3. Factor loadings Confirmatory Factor Analysis.

							95% Confidence Interval
Factor	Indicator	Symbol	Estimate	Std. Error	z-Value	p	Lower	Upper	Std. Est. (all)
Experience Belief	EB1	λ11	1.341	0.051	26.283	<0.001	1.241	1.441	0.875
	EB2	λ12	1.301	0.048	27.221	<0.001	1.208	1.395	0.911
	EB3	λ13	1.276	0.053	24.265	<0.001	1.173	1.379	0.875
	EB4	λ14	1.267	0.049	25.741	<0.001	1.171	1.364	0.846
	EB5	λ15	1.274	0.048	26.273	<0.001	1.179	1.369	0.843
Experience Religion	ER1	λ21	1.257	0.057	21.956	<0.001	1.145	1.369	0.855
	ER2	λ22	1.296	0.049	26.569	<0.001	1.201	1.392	0.883
	ER3	λ23	1.047	0.072	14.604	<0.001	0.906	1.187	0.766
	ER4	λ24	1.159	0.067	17.276	<0.001	1.027	1.290	0.802
	ER5	λ25	0.981	0.076	12.850	<0.001	0.832	1.131	0.744
Social Exploration	SE1	λ31	1.104	0.061	18.239	<0.001	0.985	1.222	0.753
	SE2	λ32	1.132	0.067	16.853	<0.001	1.000	1.263	0.793
	SE3	λ33	0.828	0.075	11.042	<0.001	0.681	0.975	0.663
	SE4	λ34	0.951	0.076	12.511	<0.001	0.802	1.100	0.658
	SE5	λ35	0.895	0.076	11.818	<0.001	0.746	1.043	0.678
Escape	ES1	λ41	0.735	0.053	13.831	<0.001	0.631	0.839	0.956
	ES2	λ42	0.647	0.059	10.912	<0.001	0.531	0.763	0.835
	ES3	λ43	0.542	0.067	8.075	<0.001	0.411	0.674	0.749
Shopping	SH1	λ51	1.007	0.070	14.436	<0.001	0.870	1.144	0.791
	SH2	λ52	1.098	0.068	16.159	<0.001	0.965	1.231	0.896

show that the values of the standardized lambda coefficients range between 0.658–0.956 above the minimum threshold of 0.5 [53]. Furthermore, all items are significantly associated (p ˂ 0.001) with their hypothetical factors at a 95% confidence level. Therefore, we confirm the convergent validity.

In addition to this analysis, we verified the convergent validity through the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) adjustment measures, indicating that the measures were adequate. The chi-square (χ2) and the degrees of freedom of the model suggest that the fit of the model is good, with a value of χ2 that does not reject the null hypothesis and is supported by the chi-square test 311.349, df 160, p ˂ 0.001; CMIN/DF = 1939. Likewise, the values of the other goodness-of-fit indices showed recommended values (See

Table 4. Fit indices.

Index	Value
Comparative Fit Index (CFI)	0.960
Tucker–Lewis Index (TLI)	0.953
Bentler–Bonett Non-normed Fit Index (NNFI)	0.953
Bentler–Bonett Normed Fit Index (NFI)	0.922
Parsimony Normed Fit Index (PNFI)	0.776
Bollen’s Relative Fit Index (RFI)	0.907
Bollen’s Incremental Fit Index (IFI)	0.960
Relative Non-centrality Index (RNI)	0.960
Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA)	0.056
PClose	0.133
Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR)	0.043

).

We completed the validation through a discriminant validity analysis to evaluate the extent to which the measure of one construct was not correlated with the measure of another. Through this analysis (

Table 5. Result of discriminant validity (Fornell–Larcker).

Factor	CR	AVE	α	MSV	1	2	3	4	5
1. Experience Belief	0.940	0.758	0.940	0.318	0.871
2. Experience Religion	0.906	0.659	0.896	0.359	0.322 ***	0.812
3. Social Exploration	0.836	0.506	0.847	0.359	0.261 ***	0.600 ***	0.711
4. Escape	0.886	0.724	0.887	0.012	−0.048	-0.109 †	−0.097	0.851
5. Shopping	0.833	0.715	0.771	0.318	0.564 ***	0.117 †	0.117 †	0.002	0.845

Note: The square root of AVE is shown diagonally in bold. Chi-square test: 311.349, df 160, p ˂ 0.001. CMIN/DF = 1.939. α: Cronbach’s alpha. Significance of Correlations: ^† p < 0.100; *** p < 0.001.

), the correlation coefficients between constructs and the square root of the AVE were compared. The correlation between variables must be less than 0.95 [47]. Based on this criterion, we observed that the results of all the variables met the threshold, and thus, the existence of discriminant validity was confirmed. Furthermore, according to [54], the main diagonal elements must have values more significant than the coefficients within the constructs (AVE). Therefore, in this study, all motivational factors demonstrated acceptable discriminant validity because all intra-construct correlations were less than the square root of the AVE for each construct. We used the heterotrait/monotrait ratio (HTMT) as a method to evaluate discriminant validity between latent constructs (

Table 6. Result of discriminant validity (HTMT).

Constructs	1	2	3	4	5
1. Experience Belief
2. Experience Religion	0.918
3. Social Exploration	0.637	0.695
4. Escape	0.529	0.583	0.863
5. Shopping	0.788	0.746	0.754	0.594

).

5. Discussion

After the development and validation of a scale to establish the motivational dimensions in religious tourism focused on pilgrimages, the results show five motivational dimensions, namely experience belief, experience religion, social exploration, escape, and shopping. The experience belief dimension was similar to the experience belief dimension argued by Pillai et al. [25] and Carvache-Franco et al. [41]. The experience religion dimension was similarly identified by [25,41] as experience religion. Likewise, Liro [17], Liro [40], Amaro et al. [34], and Riegel and Linder [40] also found it in an analogous way as religious. Also, Vistad et al. [38] similarly argued it as the religious self.

The motivational dimension of social exploration was similarly identified as social exploration by Pillai et al. [25]. Also, Amaro et al. [34] described it as meeting new people and places. In the same way, Riegel and Linder [39] identified it as a social contact. Also, Liro [40] found it as a social motivation. An educational factor was found in the social exploration construct since the people who attend the pilgrimage also go to learn about the cultural and tourist part of the destination with their family and friends. The escape dimension was similarly determined by [25,41] as escape. In the same way, Amaro et al. [34] identified it as an escape from routine. Finally, the shopping motivation was similarly found by [25,41].

The contribution of this study to religious tourism focused on pilgrimage is the herein developed and validated scale that serves to establish the motivations of religious tourism focused on pilgrimages, which is made up of five dimensions, namely experience belief, experience religion, social exploration, escape, and shopping. From the same perspective, Pillai et al. [25] found the same motivational dimensions, and Carvache-Franco et al. [41] found religious experience, belief experience, escape, touristic experience, and shopping. However, these academics did not identify the social exploration dimension, as in our study, but rather include the tourist experience dimension, although our social experience dimension also includes the tourist aspect. In this way, both studies are most similar to our results. This study also contributes to the academic literature by determining that the motivations in religious tourism are related to purely religious (experience belief and experience religion) and secular (social exploration, escape, and shopping) motivations; that is, both types of motivations make up the construct of motivational dimensions in this type of tourism.

Regarding the pilgrimages destinations in Latin America, such as the Virgin of Montserrat, the results show that both religious and secular dimensions of motivation exist, as in other international studies [17,25,34,39,40,41]. For this reason, destination administrators will be able to work on management guides to value both motivations that are part of religious tourism.

The findings found in the procession of the Virgin of Montserrat in Ecuador are related to the social, religious, and cultural aspects of the population of this country, where 91.95% of the population claims to have a religion, of which 80.4% belong to the Catholic religion, 11.3% are Evangelical, 1.29% are Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the remaining 6.96% belong to other religions [55]. In this sense, because the vast majority of the population comprises Catholics, there is a large group of devout believers who attend pilgrimages motivated by their faith and to pay homage to a saint and who would be impacted by the motivational dimension of experiencing beliefs due to the religious aspects of the population. The experience religion dimension is also linked to Catholicism, this being part of the population’s cultural and religious tradition of attending churches and pilgrimages. The social exploration dimension is part of the social aspects of tourism and sharing with family and friends at religious events. The escape dimension is related to the social custom of taking advantage of free moments to get out of a daily routine and participate in events. Also, the shopping dimension is related to the cultural tradition that people have in purchasing religious products to take home, which are part of the devotion to religious faith.

6. Conclusions

Since biblical times, tourism and the region have been connected. Religious tourism is known as a popular form of mobilization since antiquity. Where pilgrims undertake trips to sacred places, structures, or buildings of great historical value as heritage elements, this mobilization can be undertaken with religious or secular motivations. However, studies reveal that it is one of the most common motivations for travel. Therefore, studying this type of tourism is crucial for understanding the faithful pilgrims and non-pilgrims so that services and products for this potential segment can be adapted. The city of Montecristi and the sanctuary of the Virgin of Montserrat in Ecuador provided an analysis of the motivations of travelers and tourists and how the image and services of the destination could be improved.

The present study developed and validated a scale of motivational dimensions related to religious tourism focused on pilgrimages, finding five dimensions, namely experience belief, experience religion, social exploration, escape, and shopping. Until now, the motivations for this type of tourism have been little studied because several criteria have been found for different types of religious visits. Previous findings have identified a series of dimensions from various perspectives, which is why the present study tried to continue with standardization as far as pilgrimages are concerned.

As for theoretical implications, the results show that, according to the new validated scale, the motivational dimensions in religious tourism revolve around three aspects: religion, culture, and social. For this reason, dimensions related to these activities were found where, in addition to tourism, those attending this type of event take the opportunity to carry out activities related to these secular or non-religious aspects. In this sense, the motivational dimensions of religious tourism entail a cluster of religious beliefs mixed with tourism and secular activities. For this reason, religious tourism is composed of religious and secular motivations. It was also established that the dimensions found are composed of religious and secular motivations.

As practical implications, these proposals are aimed at helping to create products in line with demand and are guidelines to improve the experience of pilgrims when attending religious events. In this sense, increasing the experience belief and religious dimension related to the spiritual could be promoted more with souvenirs concerning the Virgin. Religious ceremonies and events could also be held before the pilgrimage date. Promoting a religious event is very important among the faithful in order to increase this dimension. Clubs or workshops could be created to organize religious events and improve the social exploration dimension. Also, days before the religious appointment, meetings could be held, so those attending the event get to know each other. Activities associated with the pilgrimage could be created, such as visiting tourist places or recreational activities, such as experiencing in the typical gastronomy of the place to increase the escape dimension. The sale of crafts and souvenirs related to the Virgin or religious events could be increased to improve the shopping dimension. It is necessary to create a greater variety of products related to the pilgrimage.

To improve the visit of tourists during the pilgrimage, it is important that the religious and secular aspects offer the best services. Therefore, it is necessary that the tourist packages offered maintain a variety of services related to religion, culture, education and the social dimension, and tourism. Adding value through things such as sale of religious handicrafts, gastronomy, hats and glasses to protect from the sun, cotton t-shirts with the image of the Virgin, assistance from city guides, traffic police working for the benefit of the pilgrimage, implementing garbage recycling bins, and rescuers working would be good to implement in the pilgrimage. As practical implications, management guides should be provided so that organizers of religious tourism events can continue to benefit from creating pilgrimages according to the identified demand.

The present study’s main limitation is the sampling’s temporality because the sample can vary. Another limitation is the size of the sample, which was reached with a margin of error of 5.5%. Gathering the sample online from those who have completed the pilgrimage is another limitation along with the not-so-varied age of the people who made up the sample. Finally, as a future line of research, a study could be carried out related to the sociodemographic aspects and the motivations of those attending religious tourism events. Studies could also be carried out that apply the motivation scale validated in the present study to obtain a segmentation of demand in religious tourism.