Companies with stakes in faith-based travel are banking on Christian events taking place throughout Europe in 2010.
"2010 is a year that looks to be a very good year in religious tourism," said Kevin Wright, president of the World Religious Travel Association and chairman of the World Religious Travel Expo, which took place in Reno, Nev., this month.
Wright listed the four major events expected to attract large numbers of religious travelers:
● The Oberammergau Passion Play: Tour operators expect 500,000 visitors to the performance in Oberammergau, Germany, which takes place once a decade and will run from May through September.
● Feast of St. James: Spain has declared 2010 a holy year because the feast of St. James, July 25, falls on a Sunday. Religious travelers will journey to the city of Santiago de Compostela’s cathedral, where the remains of St. James are believed to be housed.
● Year for Priests: Pope Benedict XVI declared June 19, 2009 through June 11, 2010 the Year for Priests. Seminarians and priests will travel to Ars, France, where St. John Vianney – declared the universal patron of priests by Pope Benedict – served his entire priestly life.
● The Shroud of Turin: The cloth believed to have been placed on the body of Jesus Christ at his burial will be open to the public in Turin, Italy, from April 10 through May 23.
There are signs that these events are stimulating travel. While tour operators initially reported slow sales for Oberammergau, many are now seeing an uptick in bookings for packages that include the play.
"Overall, the market has remained relatively steady compared to the rest of the leisure travel industry," said Wright. "Just like every nook and cranny of the tourism industry, everybody took a little bit of a hit. But in that context, religious tourism is holding steady."
The World Religious Travel Expo welcomed 550 participants this year, a 10% increase over the 500 participants at the first expo last year.
New participants included representatives from India, Ethiopia, Scotland, Turkey, Pakistan and Armenia.
"Armenia is going to be one of the emerging destinations [in faith-based travel]," said Wright. "They are now very committed to the religious tourism market."
The expo co-located with the National Tour Association’s annual convention. About 35% of NTA operators offer religious tours.