Greece Promotes Thrace as a Destination for Religious Tourism

by · Greek City Times

The messages of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Ieronymos opened the Fifth Panhellenic Conference on Pilgrimage Tours on Saturday afternoon, highlighting Thrace’s rich religious, historical and cultural heritage and its potential as an international destination for religious tourism.

The conference, titled Thrace: Promoting and Showcasing the Region’s Monasteries, Pilgrimage Sites and Routes – Monastic Cuisine, takes place at the Holy Metropolis of Alexandroupolis until 1 November. The Ministry of Tourism sponsors the event, which organisers are holding in cooperation with the Church of Greece.

Bartholomew Highlights Thrace’s Religious and Cultural Treasures

In his message, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew described Thrace as a region that preserves valuable treasures of faith, history and culture, supported by deep Christian roots and longstanding spiritual ties with Constantinople.

He said the region’s monasteries, sacred sites and pilgrimage destinations demonstrate the enduring influence of the Orthodox tradition, which has flourished there for centuries.

Read more: Greek Officials Promote Religious Tourism During New York Visit

Bartholomew stressed that promoting these religious landmarks represents both a responsibility to preserve this heritage and an offering to people seeking meaning and hope in contemporary life.

He described pilgrimage as a movement of the heart towards God, explaining that visiting a sacred place can become the beginning of an inner spiritual journey through prayer, repentance and renewal of one’s connection with the Church.

The Ecumenical Patriarch also welcomed the conference’s inclusion of monastic cuisine, noting its growing international appeal and the influence of the late Athonite monk Father Epiphanios, who helped highlight its culinary diversity, nutritional benefits and spiritual significance.

He explained that food preparation and communal dining form an integral part of monastic life, alongside prayer, work and service. Shared meals strengthen unity and brotherhood, fasting encourages self-restraint, and hospitality welcomes strangers as friends.

Bartholomew added that simple meals and carefully prepared food express love, concern for others and gratitude to God.

He said monastic traditions could inspire a more balanced way of life at a time of excessive consumption and waste, encouraging people to appreciate the earth’s resources, practise moderation and care for those in need.

He also called for cooperation between local dioceses, parishes, monastic communities, academics and public authorities to protect and promote Thrace’s historical and cultural wealth.

Ieronymos Links Pilgrimage Tourism with Faith and Cultural Identity

Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Ieronymos emphasised the close relationship between pilgrimage tourism, the Church’s spiritual mission, historical memory and the cultural identity of the regions hosting religious visitors.

He said the Church views pilgrimage tours as much more than travel or an economic development activity. They offer opportunities for spiritual exploration, acquaintance with Orthodox traditions and direct contact with the history and sacred monuments of the faith.

Ieronymos highlighted the importance of holding this year’s conference in Thrace, describing the region as a crossroads of peoples, cultures and traditions that preserves enduring traces of Christianity and Orthodox witness.

From Alexandroupolis to Komotini, Xanthi, Didymoteicho and Orestiada, he said, Thrace safeguards a valuable collection of religious monuments, historic churches, monasteries and places of spiritual significance.

These sites provide the foundations for meaningful pilgrimage routes that showcase the region’s historical continuity, religious heritage and Orthodox way of life.

He added that Orthodoxy represents not merely a historical inheritance but a living presence that continues to inspire, unite and offer hope.

Promoting Thrace’s pilgrimage destinations, he said, should serve the preservation of the Church’s collective memory and the transmission of faith to younger generations.

The Archbishop also highlighted the relationship between pilgrimage tourism and the promotion of authentic monastic cuisine.

He described the monastic table as an expression of an entire way of life shaped by spiritual discipline, moderation, prayer, respect for creation and brotherhood.

Fasting, simplicity, the responsible use of natural resources and hospitality form a culinary and spiritual tradition of particular value, he said.

Ieronymos stressed that the Church should welcome visitors as fellow human beings rather than consumers of tourism services.

He said promoting monastic gastronomy must preserve its spiritual character and remain connected to the values of moderation, gratitude and hospitality from which it emerged.

Deputy Tourism Minister Targets International Religious Tourism Market

Deputy Tourism Minister Anna Karamanli highlighted Thrace’s distinctive cultural wealth, describing it as a special destination with a heritage extending from ancient burial mounds and theatres to Byzantine castles, churches and historic monasteries.

Karamanli said the conference forms part of broader initiatives undertaken by the Joint Coordinating Committee for Pilgrimage Tourism, which she chairs, to strengthen cooperation between the Tourism Ministry and religious institutions.

She said the government aims to showcase Greece’s pilgrimage heritage and support the responsible development of religious tourism.

“Our goal is to strengthen Greece’s position as an international destination for pilgrimage and spiritual exploration,” she said, stressing the need to respect the sacred character of religious sites, the identity of each diocese and the way of life of monastic communities.

Karamanli said Greece’s Orthodox heritage, religious monuments and pilgrimage routes have international appeal, offering visitors opportunities for reflection, spiritual exploration and meaningful engagement with a living religious tradition.

She also stressed the importance of cooperation with dioceses and monasteries to document pilgrimage destinations, highlight their history and provide visitors with reliable information about their religious and cultural significance.

The deputy minister said this year’s conference explores both the tangible and intangible religious heritage of Thrace, with monastic cuisine forming an important part of that tradition.

She noted that monastic food reflects values of fasting, moderation, hospitality and care for others, while preserving knowledge and practices passed down through generations.

Karamanli also highlighted the region’s natural environment, rare ecosystems and welcoming communities as important assets for tourism development.

From Xanthi to Evros, and from the Rhodope mountains to the Thracian Sea and Samothrace, she said, the region can offer authentic visitor experiences throughout the year.

She added that organised and sustainable tourism development, supported by local communities, could create employment opportunities while protecting the region’s distinctive character.

Religious and pilgrimage tourism remains an important priority for the Tourism Ministry, Karamanli said, because it can strengthen local economies, support small businesses and producers, and attract visitors to destinations beyond Greece’s established tourist hotspots.

It can also extend the tourism season by bringing visitors outside the peak summer months.

However, she stressed that development must go hand in hand with environmental protection, respect for local communities and, above all, preservation of the spiritual character of sacred sites.

(Source: AMNA)

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