Argentina is gearing up for an influx of tourists looking to follow in the footsteps of the new Pope Francis.
As the world gets to learn more about the life of the new Argentinian Pope, who was inaugurated this week, tour operators expect to see growing interest in the country from all over the globe.
“As we have seen with Pope John Paul II and his native Poland, a popular and beloved Pope will drive people of faith to want to follow in their footsteps,” said Mike Schields, managing director of groups and emerging markets for Globus.
“Visiting a pope’s birthplace, notable towns and cities in which he lived and has been memorialized, and the Churches and communities in which he has served the Catholic faith, are all strong attractions for pilgrims.
“Over time, and as Francis becomes more well-known, we anticipate the same dynamic will happen with Argentina. In South America in general, a large and growing Catholic population will attract many to the fascinating culture and history the region has to offer.”
Places of significance, including his birthplace Flores in the suburbs of Buenos Aires, are set to emerge as popular tourist spots.
More visitors are also expected to flock to Catedral Metropolitana, where the former archbishop presided over Mass.
He studied at the Inmaculada Concepcion seminary in Villa Devoto, a leafy suburb on the western edges of Buenos Aires, and was later head of the Argentine Jesuits in the city of Cordoba.
Cordoba is already on the tourist trail thanks to the Manzana Jesuitica, the Jesuit Block which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.
Pope Francis is famously a big fan of the San Lorenzo soccer team, based in the central Buenos Aires neighbourhood of Almagro.
It is said he never misses a match and in 2008 he offered to conduct a special Mass for the team’s 100-year anniversary. Operators are already giving out advice about how to book tickets.
