Massive pent-up demand from Catholic Pilgrims brings travel advisors unprecedented opportunities
LAKELAND, FL – (August 24, 2022) – With roughly 50 million Catholics in the USA and unprecedented demand for travel from this segment of the faith-based travel market, ETS is unveiling an expansive range of opportunities for travel advisors to add ETS Catholic Pilgrimages to their 2023 offerings. Further, due to popular demand, the company is hosting an insightful training for travel advisors recapping 2023 Catholic Pilgrimage possibilities during a live webinar on August 31, 2022, at 3 PM (ET).
As one of the world leaders in faith-based travel established in 1972, ETS has served thousands of parishes throughout the U.S. and abroad, working hand-in-hand with group leaders together with their priests. After experiencing their first trip, many leaders make plans for annual trips to religiously significant destinations and sites focused on the Catholic faith. Mass can be celebrated daily and can be arranged by ETS Tours to take place in a variety of places of religious significance throughout all of the Catholic pilgrimages offered by the company.
For 2023, Catholic group travel programs start at just $999 per person (land only) and will be offered to destinations ranging from Mexico to the Holy Land to Croatia and beyond! Unique experiences that take pilgrims to commemorate Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico, walk the Camino de Santiago in Spain, visit the location and visionaries of the sightings of Virgin Mary in Bosnia’s Medjugorje, revel in the healing sacred spring that appeared after a vision of Virgin Mary in France’s Lourdes, delve into Portugal’s Sanctuary of Fatima honoring the apparitions of the blessed Virgin Mary to the child-shepherds that took place in 1917, celebrate Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Israel’s Jerusalem, plus so much more! The company’s distinctive range of Catholic Pilgrimages is now available for viewing online at http://www.etstours.com/catholicpilgrimages.
Further, while pilgrimages continue to be a huge draw, Catholic pilgrims often participate in other group trips offered by their parish that include Marriage retreats, women’s retreats, fellowship retreats booked on award-winning cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara, and AmaWaterways that feature exclusive guest speakers and daily mass. The opportunities are virtually endless!
“Many pilgrims had to postpone their plans over the past few years and now they are ready to travel. Our one-of-a-kind, authentic, spiritual, life changing trips are exactly what Catholic pilgrims are yearning to experience.
Not only do our itineraries showcase faith-based sites, worship, and touring, we also feature faith-based education in all of our programs, special requests – such as daily mass based on the preferences of the group, and we incorporate unique cultural experiences and once-in-a-lifetime moments into every group that travels with us,” said James Ridgway, CEO of ETS Tours.
“We are seeing faith-based travel bouncing-back at an unprecedented rate. In fact, our October and November numbers are already hitting pre-pandemic levels and 2023 is on track to surpass that, continued Ridgway. “Now is the ideal time to get into faith-based travel or ramp up your offerings with our 2023 opportunities and build loyal new group business for you via our Catholic Pilgrimages.”
Known as the experts in faith-based travel established in 1974, ETS Tours has launched a robust webinar-based training program to help travel advisors tap into this $50–$100 billion industry. The next installment of its webinar series offers travel advisors the unique opportunity to learn all about Catholic Pilgrimages with ETS Tours for 2023 on August 31, 2022, at 3 PM (EST). The training webinar can be accessed at www.etstours.com/live. Participants will also learn how to: sell faith-based travel, earn 15% commission – an average of 15,000 dollars per group trip (minimum 30 pax), receive 1 for 10 travel credits, and be a part of a life-changing experience for their church leaders and church members.
To register for ETS Tours’ August 31, 2022 webinar visit this link: http://www.etstours.com/webinar-registration-njc or join at live via http://www.ETStours.com/live.
About ETS Tours
Established in 1974, ETS has led over 350,000 people on Faith Based trips in over 45 years of business. In addition to the Holy Land, ETS offers Faith Based cruises following the Journeys of Paul, Marriage and Women’s retreats at sea, Fellowship cruises, European Tours, River Cruises and more. ETS has served thousands of pastors and churches throughout the U.S. and abroad. Many denominational leaders have seen the difference a tour to the Holy Land can make in their clergy members and have organized annual tours with ETS. To learn more about how to tap into the $50 billion faith-based travel segment, visit www.ETStours.com, call 1-800-929-4387, or email ets@travelwithus.com.