From Mecca to the Vatican to the Kumbh Mela: Religious Tourism on the Rise

Travel Blog  •  Elyse Franko  •  09.10.08 | 5:03 PM ET

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Photo of Vatican City by soylentgreen23, via Flickr (Creative Commons).

Religious destinations across the globe are profiting from pilgrimage tourism, according to The New York Times. Some choice statistics: the Vatican-based travel agency ORP is expecting to send 400,000 people on pilgrimages this year; more than 2 million Muslims travel to Mecca each year; and a mind-blowing 75 million people participate in Kumbh Mela, the Hindu pilgrimage festival.