With tourism reaching or surpassing pre-pandemic records in Barcelona and across southern Europe, iconic sacred sites are struggling to accommodate the faithful who come to pray and the millions of visitors who often pay to view the art and architecture.
As people begin to travel the world again for the first time since the start of the pandemic, there may be an increase in demand for the sort of tourism that involves more than stunning sites. Read full piece
Religious tourism has been significantly affected by the spread of the coronavirus, with 63.8% of travelers reducing their travel plans as a result. As COVID-19 evolved to become a global pandemic, governments across the globe closed sacred sites and temporarily banned religious travel.
BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) — For decades, the people of Bethlehem have watched tour buses drive up to the Church of the Nativity, disgorge their passengers for a few hours at the traditional birthplace of Jesus, and then return to Israel.