Religious travel, often also called faith-based travel, is a unique subcategory of the travel industry that focuses on connecting travelers with religious travel experiences around the world, from experiencing the Holy Land or hiking along the famed El Camino de Santiago to pilgrimages to Mecca and beyond.
Faith-based travel is estimated by ETS Tours, a leader in faith-based group travel, to be worth $50 billion to $100 billion. The World Tourism Organization estimates 330 million travelers visit the world’s largest religious sites each year, while millions more stop into historic churches and temples during their travels and wander along ancient pilgrimage paths to connect more deeply with Christian saints, Buddhist philosophers or other religious figures.
But if you’re a traveler looking to take your first faith-based trip, it can be difficult to know where to begin. First, check out this beginner’s guide to religious travel to learn how to start planning.
