International Pilgrimage Tourist Routes and Their Importance in Raising the Country’s Awareness: “The Way of St. Andrew the First-Called”

Georgia possesses a unique cultural and historical identity that encompasses a rich variety of cultural values: architectural monuments, folk traditions, music, visual arts, historical-ethnic heritage, and natural landscapes. This combination creates a significant potential for the development of religious tourism. However, unfortunately, only a small portion of this potential has been utilized. The pilgrimage phenomenon is currently experiencing a revival around the world, with long-standing shrines once again attracting seekers of spiritual self-realization. We believe that by adapting global experiences to the Georgian reality and considering current circumstances, it is entirely feasible to establish an international pilgrimage route in Georgia – The Path of St. Andrew the First-Called. This is especially relevant given that St. Andrew traveled multiple times through Georgia and beyond, with this route extending to other countries as well. For the development of religious tourism in Georgia and its popularization in the global tourism market, the most important task is to conduct intensive scientific research on this type of tourism, to create demand through new motivations for tourists, and to provide new products to the market. The work reveals the importance of international pilgrimage tourist routes, the possibility of creating new market niches, and developing new identities. With the correct and well-planned use of modern PR technologies and marketing strategies, in cooperation with international organizations, the Path of St. Andrew the First-Called has great potential as an international pilgrimage route.