Huis voor de Pelgrim

What Huis voor de Pelgrim does

Stichting Huis voor de Pelgrim is a Dutch Catholic non-profit foundation headquartered in Maastricht (Raadhuisplein 1) that has organized pilgrimages and spiritual journeys for more than 100 years (founded circa 1924). The organization operates a portfolio of fully managed group trips to Lourdes (France), Banneux (Belgium), Medjugorje (Bosnia-Herzegovina), Rome, Assisi (Italy), Israel, and Santiago de Compostela, with transportation by luxury coach, TGV train, plane, or a specialized care bus (zorgbus) for pilgrims with intensive medical needs. Accommodation ranges from 3-4 star hotels to the Accueil Notre-Dame care facility in Lourdes, always on a full- or half-board basis, with a pastoral program and on-trip medical volunteer accompaniment included.

The business is sustained by ticket revenue (one-time pilgrimage fees, e.g., EUR 1,245 for a Lourdes 6-day flight trip, EUR 1,360 for Rome 6-day, EUR 27.50-52.50 for Banneux day trips), a EUR 15/year Magazine voor de Pelgrim subscription distributed through affiliated Stichting Stemmen uit Lourdes, and donations and volunteer contributions channeled through its ANBI-certified foundation structure. Distribution is hybrid: direct-to-consumer via online booking forms on huisvoordepelgrim.nl and telephone support, paired with B2B2C referral partnerships with all seven Dutch Catholic dioceses (Utrecht, 's-Hertogenbosch, Rotterdam, Haarlem-Amsterdam, Groningen-Leeuwarden, Roermond, Breda), individual parishes, JongKatholiek (youth), Caritas Banneux Bisdom Roermond, De Wandelmaat (walking pilgrimages), and media partners KRO-NCRV and Katholiek Leven.

The differentiated proposition is the integration of medical and pastoral care into the pilgrimage product, enabled by a volunteer network of more than 1,000 trained personnel (reisleiders, brancardiers, nurses, doctors, priests, deacons, pastoral workers). The organization explicitly subsidizes participation of sick and less affluent pilgrims through a solidarity model in which healthy volunteers contribute to costs. Operational headcount is small (9 paid FTEs spanning an Operational Director, three pilgrimage coordinators, three backoffice staff, and one PR & Communications role), with a seven-member volunteer board (chairman, spiritual director, secretary, treasurer, medical director, plus two board members) providing governance. Customer segments include Catholic faithful (primary), pilgrims with care needs, families, youth aged 18-30, military personnel and veterans, and volunteers. Annual Lourdes throughput is approximately 1,300-2,000 pilgrims and the 2025 Nationale Bedevaart naar Rome moved ~1,100 pilgrims across all seven dioceses.

Name

Huis voor de Pelgrim

Legal name

Stichting Huis voor de Pelgrim

Website

https://huisvoordepelgrim.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1924

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Stichting Huis voor de Pelgrim is a Dutch Catholic non-profit foundation in Maastricht that has organized group pilgrimages to Lourdes, Banneux, Medjugorje, Rome, Assisi, and other sites for more than 100 years, serving Dutch Catholic faithful, sick and disabled pilgrims, families, youth, and military, supported by 1,000+ volunteers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Pilgrimage Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311)

akta.pro primary industry

Christian Pilgrimage & Holy Land Tour Operators (THAKAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Group Travel (Church/Mosque/Temple) Organizers (THAKAHAH), Religious Retreats & Spiritual Wellness Travel Agencies (THAKAHAM), Pilgrimage Packages (Air-Inclusive) Tour Operators (THAKAHAK), Pilgrimage Packages (Land-Only) Tour Operators (THAKAHAJ)

Keywords

• Pilgrimage travel services
• Catholic group tours
• Religious tourism operator
• Spiritual retreat travel
• Assisted pilgrimage tours

Headquarters

HQ city

Maastricht

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Bedevaartreizen: Group pilgrimage trips to Lourdes, Banneux, Medjugorje, Rome, Assisi, and other destinations. Revenue from trip fees including transport, accommodation, meals, and pastoral program.
2. Magazine voor de Pelgrim: Quarterly magazine subscription at €15 per year, distributed by Stichting Stemmen uit Lourdes.
3. Donaties en giften: Donations to support affordable pilgrimages for sick and less affluent pilgrims. Organization has no profit motive as ANBI-certified institution.
4. Vrijwilligersbijdragen: Volunteers pay a contribution to participate in pilgrimages, contributing to cost-sharing model of solidarity between sick and healthy pilgrims.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Stichting Huis voor de Pelgrim is a Dutch Catholic non-profit foundation that organizes fully arranged group pilgrimages to major Catholic shrines such as Lourdes (France), Banneux (Belgium), Medjugorje (Bosnia-Herzegovina), Rome and Assisi (Italy). The organization provides complete packages including transport by TGV, bus, plane or specialized care bus, accommodation with full or half board, a pastoral program, and accessibility support for sick and disabled pilgrims. It also publishes a quarterly magazine, custom group trips, walking tours, and spirituality meetings.

Product overview

Huis voor de Pelgrim is a Dutch Catholic pilgrimage organization with over 100 years of experience offering organized pilgrimages and spiritual journeys. The core portfolio consists of multi-day pilgrimage trips to major Catholic destinations including Lourdes (France), Banneux (Belgium), Medjugorje (Bosnia-Herzegovina), Rome (Italy), and Assisi (Italy). The organization differentiates through specialized care services (Bedevaarten met Zorg) enabling disabled and seriously ill pilgrims to participate, including dedicated care buses, medical volunteer accompaniment, and accessible accommodation at Accueil Notre-Dame. Additional offerings include custom group trips (Reizen op Maat), walking tours along monasteries (Wandeltochten), day pilgrimages (Pelgrimini's), spirituality meetings, and the quarterly Magazine voor de Pelgrim. Transportation options include TGV train, bus, plane, and specialized care bus. The organization serves pilgrims from across the Netherlands through partnerships with Caritas Banneux Bisdom Roermond and local diocesan groups.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bedevaartreizen Lourdes

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 1300-2000 pilgrims travel to Lourdes annually through the organization
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• JongKatholiekcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJongKatholiek is een partner voor de organisatie van jongerenreizen naar het Mladifest in Medjugorje. De organisatie is het platform voor katholieke jongeren in Nederland en werkt samen met het Huis voor de Pelgrim voor de jaarlijkse pelgrimstocht waar 18-30 jarigen welkom zijn.
• Caritas Banneux Bisdom RoermondcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCaritas Banneux Bisdom Roermond is een zelfstandige stichting die in samenwerking met het Huis voor de Pelgrim jaarlijkse meerdaagse reizen en dagbedevaarten naar Banneux organiseert. Het Huis voor de Pelgrim voert de reizen uit voor Caritas Banneux.
• De WandelmaatminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDe Wandelmaat is een partner voor wandeltochten langs kloosters en abdijen. Samen met het Huis voor de Pelgrim worden pelgrimstochten te voet aangeboden.
• 7 Nederlandse BisdommencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHet Huis voor de Pelgrim werkt samen met alle zeven Nederlandse bisdommen (Utrecht, 's-Hertogenbosch, Rotterdam, Haarlem-Amsterdam, Groningen-Leeuwarden, Roermond, Breda) voor de organisatie van diocesane bedevaarten en de jaarlijkse Nationale Bedevaart.
• Stichting Stemmen uit LourdesminorOthersStichting Stemmen uit Lourdes is gelieerd aan het Huis voor de Pelgrim en verzorgt de incasso voor Magazine voor de Pelgrim abonnementen.
• KRO-NCRVminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKRO-NCRV maakt tv-reportages en series over bedevaarten van het Huis voor de Pelgrim, zoals 'Francis naar Lourdes' en 'Geloofsgesprek', wat zorgt voor landelijke bekendheid.
• Katholiek LevenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKatholiek Leven is het videoplatform van de katholieke Kerk in Nederland en maakt reportages tijdens bedevaarten, beschikbaar voor pelgrims en breed publiek.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• 206 Tours: US-based Catholic pilgrimage tour operator offering group trips to Lourdes, Holy Land, Medjugorje, Rome, Fatima, and other Catholic shrines. Highly comparable product portfolio, customer base (Catholic faithful), and group tour operating model to Huis voor de Pelgrim, but operating from a North American source market.
• Select International Tours: Catholic pilgrimage tour operator (operating since 1968) offering group pilgrimages to Lourdes, Medjugorje, Rome, Holy Land, and other Catholic shrines. Directly comparable in product (multi-destination Catholic group pilgrimages), target customer, and operating model.
• Magnificat Tours: Italian Catholic pilgrimage tour operator offering group trips to Lourdes, Medjugorje, Holy Land, and other Catholic destinations. Comparable in product (organized Catholic group pilgrimages) and customer base (Catholic faithful) but serving primarily Italian source market.

Regional players

• Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi: Vatican-affiliated official pilgrimage organization offering group Catholic pilgrimages from Italy to Lourdes, Holy Land, Fatima, and other shrines. Directly comparable in product category (Catholic pilgrimages) and pastoral programming model, but operates primarily in Italian source market.

Broad incumbents

• TUI Nederland: Largest mainstream Dutch tour operator offering package holidays, group tours, and special-interest travel. Broad incumbent in the Dutch travel market; overlaps with Hvdp's group travel operating model but does not specialize in religious pilgrimage or Catholic pastoral programming.
• SRC Reizen: Dutch tour operator specializing in cultural, music, garden, and themed group travel. Comparable in Dutch group-travel operating model and special-interest customer base, but no religious/pilgrimage focus.
• Djoser: Dutch tour operator offering cultural, walking, and active group travel worldwide, including European itineraries that intersect with pilgrimage-adjacent routes (e.g., Camino-style walking). Comparable Dutch group-travel operator, broader in audience and not faith-based.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/organisatie-limburgse-bedevaarten

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Huis voor de Pelgrim