Photo from the National Catholic Reporter
The passing of Pope Francis in the Vatican made its mark on various sectors of society, so it is not surprising that even the travel and tourism industries were also affected in the eighteen-day period between the death of one Pontiff and the election of his successor.
In a feature we posted on 22nd April, the day after the death of Pope Francis, we touched on the volume of travellers who made their way to Vatican City to mourn the passing of Pope John Paul II and cheered the election of his successor, Pope Benedict XVI, in 2005: per statistics, four million people showed up in Rome during the period between the sainted Pontiff’s passing on 2nd April 2005, and just a little less were in St Peter’s Square when the Sistine Chapel chimney spewed forth white smoke to declare the election of Benedict XVI.
The numbers for the wake and subsequent funeral for Pope Francis were more modest; according to the consolidated reports of the Associated Press (AP):
- 250,000 mourners from around the world came to pay their respects as the Pope lay in state at St Peter’s Basilica from 23rd to 25th April;
- Over 250,000 filled St Peter’s Square on the day of the funeral itself, excluding foreign dignitaries and church officials; and
- Nearly 150,000 more flocked to the sidewalks to watch the funeral procession as it made its way from St Peter’s to the Pontiff’s final resting place at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore.
While sources have been unable to discern how many of these visitors were local and how many were from overseas, the sheer spectacle and the innate human need to be part of something greater than themselves drew the masses to Rome.
The concept of papal pilgrimages
Considering the impact that Pope Francis had on the world, it again comes as no surprise that people would be interested in the places that so shaped his life and worldview.
Indeed, tour operators and travel agents, particularly those specialising in pilgrimages, noted a significant demand in those wanting to visit the Pontiff’s birth city of Buenos Aires, Argentina from 13th March 2013 when the Conclave voted him to the papacy.
Following his passing last month, tour companies, especially from Spanish-speaking areas, have noted an even bigger surge in the number of people wanting to visit Argentina.
According to Civitatis chief operating officer Enrique Espinel: “Since the Pope’s health began to decline, we saw a steady rise in interest. What used to be a once-a-month tour of Pope Francis’s Buenos Aires has become a daily occurrence. In the past few days alone, bookings for our newly launched Free Tour del Papa have increased by over 100 percent.”
Likewise, travel tech consultancy Belvera Partners reports that pilgrims are keen to know more about the life and experiences of Pope Francis and see such trips to his hometown as a way of walking in his well-scuffed shoes.
According to their report: “These experiences [offered by tour companies] explore the neighbourhoods, churches, and formative spaces in Buenos Aires that shaped the future Pope’s worldview and vocation.”
At the same time, interest has spiked in Vatican-focused tours, as travellers seek to connect with the physical spaces where Pope Francis left an indelible spiritual, societal, and political legacy.
The Belvera report concludes with: “As the world reflects, the travel industry is responding with reverence, offering experiences that help travelers walk in the footsteps of a man who moved millions both in faith and in action.”
<div class="cls-under-content"> Official photo from Vatican Media
A new Pope…and a potential new pilgrimage to consider
On 8th May, at 6:07pm in Rome, white smoke came billowing out of the chimney installed at the Sistine Chapel.
Right outside, around 40,000 people, mostly foreign tourists and pilgrims, were milling around St Peter’s Square; but the BBC reported that the numbers swelled to over 150,000 in the hour that passed between the appearance of the smoke and the official ceremony announcing the election of the new Pope: US-born Leo XIV.
Companies like Civitatis are already reporting a surge in interest in another South American location: Peru, as this was where Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost spent close to four decades of his ministry, from his arrival as an Augustinian friar in 1985 to his episcopate in Chiclayo in 2023.
Travellers are also making their way to the new Pope’s hometown in Chicago, their curiosity piqued as to what was it about the South Side of the Windy City that produced a man of such calibre.
But this poses issues of its own, particularly in the light of waning inbound tourism to the United States, fuelled by global animosity with the current administration, particularly its stance against foreigners (legal and otherwise) making their way into the country.
Yet, religious tourism of this sort could be a boon to the beleaguered country: a small pocket destination that offers a glimpse into a new player on the chessboard of history, a bit of proof that good things and people can come from even the darkest places on Earth.
