Globus Tours’ religious travel division last week celebrated its 10th anniversary in business, as it rolled out seven international faith-based itineraries designed with the first-time international traveler in mind.
Among the tours is a new eight-day Legacy of Pope John Paul II tour in Poland.
Its sister company, the more value-based Cosmos, will have four tours, starting at $127 a day.
Globus estimates the market for international faith-based travel at 16.3 million Americans, up 5% in the past five years.
More than a third (35%) of all outbound travelers are interested in taking a religious vacation.
Half (49%) of religious travelers view a faith-based vacation as something they need to do to enhance their faith, and half (51%) feel more comfortable spending money on a religious vacation than any other getaway.
Of those, 70% prefer to go on a group tour, Globus says.
Not surprisingly, Italy and Israel top the list of divine destinations; 58% want to visit Israel while 30% are interested in Italy.
To meet the need, Globus is offering a 9-day Journey Through the Holy Land and an 11-day Grand Catholic Italy, while Cosmos has less 9-day Holy Land and Italy tours.
As part of its faith-based offering, Globus’s Get Out & Give Back program helps travelers raise funds for their church by making a contribution of up to $1,000.
In honor of its 10th anniversary, Globus is offering an early booking incentive of 10%, and a group discount of $100 per person on Cosmos or $200 per person on Globus faith-based tours for 2014.
