A MODEL OF MARKETING PRODUCT IN RELIGIOUS HERITAGE SITES: CASE STUDY FOR THE MONASTERY OF HODOS-BODROG

ABSTRACT

Religious Heritage Sites can benefit from adopting a marketing perspective. This paper 's objective is to develop a new model of marketing product for Religious Heritage Sites. Retrieving some peculiarities from social marketing, and more specific the religious one, and from services marketing, and more specific the touristic one, the proposed model has been illustrated through a case study for the Monastery of Hodos-Bodrog. The proposed visitors ' matrix for Religious Heritage Sites' shows different levels of consumers ' interest and engagement that should be considered when creating the product, in order to offer something of interest for each category of customers. The core product is offered through tangible and intangible components, becoming the adopted product when changes appear in the the consumer's way of thinking and behaving. Yet, the Religious product is not only goods and services, but it uses these in order to create the finality product - the salvation -, while the finality productfor Religious Heritage is the consumers' satisfaction. Adding some touristic and recreational activities, organized by third parties, to the product will create an experience that exceeds visitors' expectations. To illustrate and ensure a better understanding of the model, it has been applied to the Monastery of Hodos-Bodrog.