Religious tourism in Máriapócs

Abstract

Máriapócs gained national and international renown for its weeping icon of the Virgin Mary.

From a tourism perspective, the three occasions when the icon wept and the Papal visit were pivotal events.

The aim of this research is to demonstrate how this once-impoverished settlement in the Nyírség region

evolved into an international pilgrimage site. In the early 2000s, infrastructure

upgrades were carried out under the "Faith and Health" and "Ray of Mary" development programs,

aimed at establishing high-quality visitor facilities. The Church increased the number of religious

events, thereby helping to ensure a more even distribution of visitor arrivals over time.

The study presents the results and impact of these tourism developments and the

changes in the number of religious events over the past fourteen years; furthermore,

it categorizes visitors based on the findings.

it categorizes visitors based on the findings.