The Year of Faith Tourism 2009

The World Religious Travel Association (WRTA) has designated 2009 as The Year of Faith Tourism.

Serving as a
special time set aside for the promotion of and participation in travel
by people of faith, the purpose and goal of the year-long celebrations
and activities is three-fold: (1) Highlight the New Era of Faith
Tourism. (2) Increase the awareness of the personal and communal
benefits of Faith Tourism. (3) Contribute to the overall growth and
health of the global economy, travel industry, and individual travel
providers.

 


faithtourism2009.jpgAll
sectors of society are encouraged to become actively involved in The
Year of Faith Tourism including the media, governments, travel
providers/suppliers, faith communities, and individuals. The official
host of The Year of Faith Tourism is the World Religious Travel
Association, the leading organization dedicated to the $18 billion
faith-based travel, tourism, and hospitality industry.

 

“Never before
has a time been so ripe for the promotion of and participation in Faith
Tourism. Although religious travel is the historic forerunner of
today’s mass tourism, only now is Faith Tourism beginning to make its
presence and economic contributions known throughout society and the
travel industry in a big way,” said Kevin J. Wright, WRTA president and
author of The Christian Travel Planner. “Faith Tourism is a market that
is currently experiencing extraordinary growth on multiple fronts and
is poised to continue this trend into 2009 and beyond.”

 

In recent
years, Faith Tourism has evolved from a niche market driven primarily
by budget pilgrimages and retirees into a vast and dynamic industry
comprised of all ages seeking a diverse range of quality travel
experiences. Faith Tourism today comprises its own “niche” segments
including pilgrimages, missions, volunteer vacations, events,
conferences, cruises, leisure vacations, adventure trips, retreats,
camps, monastic guest-stays, attractions, and many other forms of
travel. According to the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, there are 3.3 billion Christian
domestic tourists each year, 250 million Christian foreign tourists,
and 150 million Christian pilgrims who are “on the move.”

 

As 2009 is
shaping up to be year of uncertainty especially within the travel
industry, there has never been a more opportune or needed time for
placing Faith Tourism “front and center” of society and the global
travel industry. With its designation and spotlight in 2009, Faith
Tourism is set to serve as an integral economic pillar and stimulus of
the global and local travel economy during this special year of
celebrations and activities.

 

The World
Religious Travel Association (WRTA) has designated the following
fifteen ways in which every person and sector of society and the travel
industry can become involved in the promotion of and/or active
participation in Faith Tourism:

 

1. Individuals embark on travels with their faith community and/or to any faith-related destination.

2. Individuals become group travel planners for their faith communities.

3. Faith communities launch a formal travel program (or travel ministry).

4. Faith communities host one or more group trips.

5. Religious leaders preach on travel as ministry.

6. Tourist boards and CVB’s dedicate resources towards attracting, growing, and measuring Faith Tourism.

7. Travel and hospitality providers integrate the faith market and
consumer into their overall product, sales, and marketing plans/efforts.

8. The travel industry further develops and enriches Faith Tourism educational resources and business materials.

9. Tour director schools integrate faith tourism curriculum.

10. Media feature and report on stories about Faith Tourism.

11. Film and other related companies produce faith travel programs, documentaries, and series.

12. Publishers launch or expand faith travel publications including guidebooks, magazines, and other periodicals.

13. Religious bookstores and gift-stores implement Travel sections.

14. Colleges and universities undertake the study of Faith Tourism and/or offer Faith Tourism classes.

15. Religious governing bodies promote and advance the theology of Faith Tourism.

 

As part of its
kick-off for The Year of Faith Tourism, the World Religious Travel
Association (WRTA) is hosting this fall the World Religious Travel Expo
& Educational Conference in Orlando (Florida) from October 29 –
November 1, 2008. Serving as the travel industry’s first-ever global
tradeshow and convention dedicated to the faith tourism and hospitality
industry, the event will serve as a gathering of the “Who’s Who” in
this robust marketplace. Two of the keynote speakers include the
Honorable Neko C. Grant, Bahamas Minister of Tourism, and Maurice
Zarmati, President & CEO of Costa Cruise Lines. The selected
keynote speakers reflect the growth and diversity of today’s faith
tourism industry. More than 400 participants are expected at this
historic and unprecedented show.

 

To learn more about The Year of Faith Tourism, visit the official website at http://www.faithtourism2009.com. For more information about the World Religious Travel Association or the World Religious Travel Expo, visit the websites http://www.religioustravelassociation.com and http://www.religioustravelexpo.com or call 1-800-657-1288.