by Paul Larsen, President, Ed-Ventures, Inc.
...Sitting at a street-side table of an Arab restaurant lunching on falafel and shawarma with our new Jewish, Christian and Muslim friends, we experienced a peace beyond understanding….In Wittenberg a discussion became tense within our tour group of Catholics and Baptists until it was pointed out that during the Reformation, Luther and Zwingli factions agreed on everything except the meaning of communion, and those factions killed each other over it---and after recognizing that we are only dividing one another’s spirit in similar fashion, we began to learn from each other...And when returning to a village in Haiti, we witnessed at our ministry site a significant change in character that we never thought we would see…..
Why faith based tourism? We all have stories about how travel breaks down walls and builds bridges of understanding and respect. That is part of the “why” in faith based tourism. There is a business side too. Some have estimated that this segment of the business is at a level of at least $18 billion annually or 300 million travelers. It is a market where the first criteria in the traveler’s decision making process is not the dollar, but rather the experience---and in the current economy, that helps.
Why do they travel? They travel with a purpose. Some travel to share their faith, to provide humanitarian relief, or to encourage others. They travel to follow the roots of their faith or their heritage. They travel to experience creation or simply to bond and fellowship with one another. They learn about their faith while overcoming their fears climbing a canyon wall in Utah or at a religious retreat or camp.
Who are these faith based travelers? They are travelers who will go anywhere in the world depending on objectives of their journey. Generally they are like-minded individuals of similar faith, but not always. These travelers can be found in colleges, churches, synagogues, non-profit organizations and NGOs, on Facebook, or following leaders with a message of faith.
Where do they travel? They travel anywhere in the world on day trips, long trips, or to events, overseas or close to home; perhaps to Sight & Sound Theaters or the Rockies, or to a third world country or an inner city, to the grandeur of Rome or to the Holy Lands, or perhaps even Disney World. They travel to a place where they can listen to or tell a story. The faith based traveler will go where their own faith can be strengthened and refined, or where they can engage other cultures.
When do people of faith travel? They travel any time of the year.
How is faith-based travel different today than years before? Faith based travel used to be defined as a pilgrimage or a mission trip. Today that definition has been expanded to be much more, as it encompasses not only the knowledge, but the experience of faith with others.
...Sitting at a street-side table of an Arab restaurant lunching on falafel and shawarma with our new Jewish, Christian and Muslim friends, we experienced a peace beyond understanding….In Wittenberg a discussion became tense within our tour group of Catholics and Baptists until it was pointed out that during the Reformation, Luther and Zwingli factions agreed on everything except the meaning of communion, and those factions killed each other over it---and after recognizing that we are only dividing one another’s spirit in similar fashion, we began to learn from each other...And when returning to a village in Haiti, we witnessed at our ministry site a significant change in character that we never thought we would see…..
Why faith based tourism? We all have stories about how travel breaks down walls and builds bridges of understanding and respect. That is part of the “why” in faith based tourism. There is a business side too. Some have estimated that this segment of the business is at a level of at least $18 billion annually or 300 million travelers. It is a market where the first criteria in the traveler’s decision making process is not the dollar, but rather the experience---and in the current economy, that helps.
Why do they travel? They travel with a purpose. Some travel to share their faith, to provide humanitarian relief, or to encourage others. They travel to follow the roots of their faith or their heritage. They travel to experience creation or simply to bond and fellowship with one another. They learn about their faith while overcoming their fears climbing a canyon wall in Utah or at a religious retreat or camp.
Who are these faith based travelers? They are travelers who will go anywhere in the world depending on objectives of their journey. Generally they are like-minded individuals of similar faith, but not always. These travelers can be found in colleges, churches, synagogues, non-profit organizations and NGOs, on Facebook, or following leaders with a message of faith.
Where do they travel? They travel anywhere in the world on day trips, long trips, or to events, overseas or close to home; perhaps to Sight & Sound Theaters or the Rockies, or to a third world country or an inner city, to the grandeur of Rome or to the Holy Lands, or perhaps even Disney World. They travel to a place where they can listen to or tell a story. The faith based traveler will go where their own faith can be strengthened and refined, or where they can engage other cultures.
When do people of faith travel? They travel any time of the year.
How is faith-based travel different today than years before? Faith based travel used to be defined as a pilgrimage or a mission trip. Today that definition has been expanded to be much more, as it encompasses not only the knowledge, but the experience of faith with others.
