Pastoral do Turismo critica esvaziamento guiado por algoritmos

Father Miguel Lopes Neto, director of the Pastoral do Turismo in Portugal, warned that algorithms used to guide travelers are turning sacred spaces into mere backdrops for tourism. In a message released for World Tourism Day, which was observed on September 27, Neto argued that the digitalization of travel routes risks turning churches into scenery where the physical structure remains but the community is lost.

Neto noted that machine-driven choices push thousands of people toward the same crowded streets in Alfama, specific viewpoints in Porto, or certain times in Cova da Iria, while leaving the heritage of smaller towns in the shadows. He stated that what does not appear on a screen effectively ceases to exist. He also pointed to the Capela dos Ossos in Évora as an example, where visitors often queue for photographs rather than engaging in the meditation on life and death intended by the friars four centuries ago.

The director also addressed digital inequality, noting that people living in areas without network access are further marginalized. He suggested that the solution is not to disconnect from technology but to learn how to use it. His message aligns with warnings from the Holy See regarding the risks of artificial intelligence and the Dicastery for Evangelization's concerns about how these technologies impact religious sites.