TRENDS IN INTERNATIONAL TOURISM: FROM LEISURE TO CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS TOURISM

Abstract

This article analyzes the trends of international tourism, focusing on the dimensions of leisure, culture, and religion, understood as driving forces of global travel flows and factors that redefine the role of destinations in contemporary society. The research was carried out using a qualitative and bibliographic approach, based on authors who discuss cultural, religious, and leisure practices in national and international contexts. The results revealed that leisure remains a central motivation, but it has been redefined as a symbolic experience that privileges memory and social bonds. Cultural tourism emerges as a strategic vector for valuing heritage, differentiating destinations that can preserve and communicate authentic traditions. Religious tourism reaffirms spirituality as a factor of collective mobilization, especially when integrated with cultural elements, enhancing global attractiveness. The analysis showed that integrating these three dimensions generates hybrid experiences that meet the expectations of a diverse audience while imposing challenges related to sustainability, authenticity, and the empowerment of host communities. It is concluded that public policies and management strategies that articulate leisure, culture, and religion are essential to consolidate international tourism as a field of human, economic, and cultural development.