Taking a Leap of Faith
Travel Inspired by a Higher Authority
Religious tourism could have a profound effect on your next vacation, even if you’re not a believer. And especially if you are planning a trip to Italy next year.
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Rome braces for 2025 Jubilee crowds.
Fee to toss a coin in Trevi Fountain?
Mafia souvenirs take a hit in Sicily.
FREE wifi on your next flight?
Jubilee Year in Rome
Pope Francis has declared 2025 as a Jubilee year for Catholics around the world. For many, that means a pilgrimage to Rome and Vatican City. How many? Rome’s mayor told the Catholic news agency that the city is bracing for more than 32 million pilgrims next year. That’s in addition to the regular flow of tourists — an estimated 35 million in 2023.
Even if you’re not going for religious reasons, it’s best to start planning ASAP. All those pilgrims have to eat and sleep somewhere. Crowds will be drawn to key celebrations like the opening and closing of the Holy Doors at St. Peter’s Basilica and the three other papal basilicas in Rome. The official schedule includes special events throughout the year devoted to a range of groups, from marching bands to health care workers.
Even travel guru Rick Steves is advising his Facebook fans: “Hold on to your rosaries… because the pope’s “Jubilee Year of Hope” will require more than hope if you intend to get into the leading sights of ancient Rome or the Vatican. In fact, it’s been a real challenge even in non-holy years lately.”
Fountain of Trevi Fee
How crowded is it? One of the great FREE traditions in Rome is to stroll by the Trevi Fountain and toss in a coin as you make a wish to return to the Eternal City. But at peak times of the year, visitors may find themselves in a body crush to get within coin-tossing distance.
AP reported that tourism officials have proposed a two-euro (about $2.50) entrance fee for travelers wishing to descend the nine steps to stand next to the Trevi Fountain. It would be managed with a reservation system and a QR code and could be operational as early as Spring 2025.
And get ready for fees to become a thing at more popular destinations. Tourism planners have been eying the success of the five-euro Venice day-tripper fee on the 29 most crowded summer days. Success, in the sense that the city collected well over two million euros. But instead of reducing crowds, there were more visitors on those days than in the previous year, not fewer. Officials now talk of doubling the fee.
Big Business of Religious Tourism
Rome isn’t the only place benefiting from the big business of religious tourism. The town of Lourdes, France has only 15,000 residents but attracts more than five million pilgrims per year, bringing in an estimated 270 million euros. The faithful gather at the grotto where they believe the Virgin Mary appeared to a local girl in 1858. Its water is said to have healing properties.
The pope has just approved a new pilgrimage site in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Young people reported visions of the Madonna on a hilltop in the town of Međugorje in 1981. The site was already distributing communion wafers to more than 1.7 million visitors a year, even before the official blessing from the Holy Father. Just one more reason to consider Eastern Europe as an alternative to increasingly crowded and pricey destinations in Western Europe.
More Travel on a Wing and a Prayer
On my Strangers in the Living Room blog, you’ll find inspiration for other faith-based visits in Italy, such as the shrine to Saint Anthony of Padua, the patron of finding lost things. When religion inspires a great work of art, you might need to reserve in advance. Here’s how to make a reservation to see daVinci’s Last Supper during a trip to Milan.
Of course, it’s not only Catholics who travel for faith. I really appreciate guidance when visiting a holy place of a religious tradition that is different from my own. Jewish heritage walking tours are offered throughout Europe. You can arrange a FREE tour of Hanoi’s temples and other landmarks with the Hanoi Kids. Our guide in Tunisia took pride in showing my family the Grand Mosque at Kairouan, a masterpiece of Islamic architecture. Fortunately, we didn’t witness the huge crowds making the pilgrimage on a Friday, the Muslim holy day.
In the News: Mafia Souvenirs Take a Hit in Sicily
Back to Italy, the Sicilian town of Agrigento has been named a European capital of culture for 2025. Euronews is reporting that the mayor has banned the sale of mafia-themed souvenirs. The area is no stranger to organized crime, but officials would rather showcase the area’s UNESCO world heritage sites with classical music concerts and other events.
FREE WiFi in the Sky?
For me, one of the pleasures of a long flight is NOT being online. It’s relaxing to catch up on movies I missed, or dive into the great book I brought along. But if you just have to be connected, Delta has begun offering FREE WiFi through T-Mobile. Here’s how to tell if your flight is connected. United has partnered with Elon Musk’s Starlink to roll out in-flight internet sometime in 2025.
Safe travels and see you next month! Welcome to all new subscribers.