MANAGEMENT OF RELIGIOUS CULTURAL HERITAGE FOR THE PURPOSE OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

Abstract

Sacred architecture refers to the design of objects of religious cultural heritage, and temples or houses of God have always been built throughout history. Such architecture is almost as old as humanity, more precisely as old as culture, and an essential part of human culture and art. An essential part of what defines man in addition to the material goods of the earth. Sacred architecture is one of the displays of the magnificent interior of man, an essence that invokes the greater of us and constantly points us upwards, toward heaven, toward God.As it has been emphasized for a few times so far, subjects which take care of religious cultural heritage, create the immeasurable social benefit which reflects in the spheres of culture and education, but also the activities of building and strengthening religious identity, branding and positioning. Besides the usual, non-material benefits, during last decades one has expected also different, material benefits from heritage subjects. Individually or, which is more efficient, in the synergy with tourist subjects, heritage institutions offer a nicely packed tourist product, which offers additional content to tourists who came because of other attractions and by enriching the complete experience, it lengthens the time of their stay, but it more often represents also th~supreme primary tourist attraction which attracts visitors to the destination and contributes to the environment development, causing introduction of function of other existing tourist resources, building of accompanying superstructure and infrastructure, the development of service activities and staff employmentThe World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) estim'ates that religious tourism generates 600 million faith -motivated travelers annually, of which 280 million are actual pilgrims. In history, destinations with religious tourism have become the center of religious, commercial and cultural events of importance for the economic development of the country.