Beliefnet.com, one of the largest faith-based websites on the Internet, reported this past week on growing size and clout of the Religious Travel Market.
To view the article visit:
http://www.mlive.com/business/grpress/index.ssf?/base/business-4/117117975184660.xml&coll=6&thispage=5
February 25, 2007
February 17, 2007
WRTA new members
We welcome a few of our newest members to the World Religious Travel Association:
* Kenya Airways (www.kenyaair.net): Provides air service to Africa for missionary travel and leisure travel; known for its award-winning service, Kenya Airways operates more transcontinental flights than any other African airline.
* 7TURkey Parner (www.7tur.com): Provides ground operator services and escorted tours in Turkey (religious tours, leisure vacations, business travel, etc.) for tour operators, travel agencies, and groups.
* World Mission Tours (www.womito.com): Since 1963, World Missions Tours has specialized in Christian travel, providing churches, missions boards, district offices and colleges with group travel.
* Holiday Travel (www.gowithholidaytravel.com): Travel agency specializing in a variety of vacations including religious
* Zealandier Tours of New Zealand (www.zealandier.co.nz): New Zealand-based Christian ground operator and travel company specializing in fully Escorted Christian trips and vacations to New Zealand. Provides services for tour operators, travel companies, and Christian groups.
* Arab Agency Travel & Tourism (970 2 2741872): Family-owned business based in Bethlehem operating as a travel agent in the Holy Land covering Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Territories.
* Kenya Airways (www.kenyaair.net): Provides air service to Africa for missionary travel and leisure travel; known for its award-winning service, Kenya Airways operates more transcontinental flights than any other African airline.
* 7TURkey Parner (www.7tur.com): Provides ground operator services and escorted tours in Turkey (religious tours, leisure vacations, business travel, etc.) for tour operators, travel agencies, and groups.
* World Mission Tours (www.womito.com): Since 1963, World Missions Tours has specialized in Christian travel, providing churches, missions boards, district offices and colleges with group travel.
* Holiday Travel (www.gowithholidaytravel.com): Travel agency specializing in a variety of vacations including religious
* Zealandier Tours of New Zealand (www.zealandier.co.nz): New Zealand-based Christian ground operator and travel company specializing in fully Escorted Christian trips and vacations to New Zealand. Provides services for tour operators, travel companies, and Christian groups.
* Arab Agency Travel & Tourism (970 2 2741872): Family-owned business based in Bethlehem operating as a travel agent in the Holy Land covering Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Territories.
Denver Business Journal (World Religious Travel Association)
Here's an article that appeared this week in the Denver Business Journal about the growth of religious tourism and the launch of the World Religious Travel Association......
http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2007/02/19/story13.html
Travel industry veteran taps into faith-based niche
The Denver Business Journal - February 16, 2007
by Paula Moore
Denver Business Journal
Littleton travel-industry pro Kevin Wright has launched the World Religious Travel Association (WRTA) and his own consulting business in recent months.
Wright helped create the WRTA, with Christian-event marketer Honnie Korngold of California, in late January because of the recent explosion in the religious, or "faith-based," travel industry. That business now generates $18 billion a year worldwide and is one of the travel industry's fastest-growing segments, according to travel and religious groups. Association dues range from nothing for some individuals to as much as $10,000 a year for trade groups.
"All faiths have destinations of significance, places to go on pilgrimages," Wright said. "The new, broader definition of religious travel is traveling with fellowship. ... People want a leisure vacation, and to travel with their church community and enjoy things like Scripture study."
Wright grew up in the tourism business. His father and consulting partner, James Wright, worked for what's now the Six Flags Inc. theme-park company and was president and CEO of the Space Needle Corp., manager of Seattle's Space Needle tower. During summers off from Washington State University, Kevin worked for the Holland America Lines cruise-ship company.
Wright moved to Denver in 2000 to work for the Globus travel company, whose U.S. headquarters is in Littleton. The relocation fulfilled a deal Wright made with himself as a 10-year-old living in Southern California. He promised himself he would live in Colorado because of its snow and mountains. The Colorado transplant left Globus and started Religious Market Consulting Group in November 2006.
Q: Why start the World Religious Travel Association? A: Religious travel has been considered a niche, but now we're an industry. With the association, we want to lead, enrich and expand the industry. ... At first, we'll work with travel sellers worldwide and focus on consumers in North America.
Q: What is the association's goal? A: Our goal is to work with religious travel, tourism and hospitality groups. There are seven categories of those groups -- travel wholesalers, tourism boards and cruise lines; travel suppliers and vendors like hotels and travel companies; travel agencies and consortiums; and religious suppliers and vendors like Focus on the Family and Mother Cabrini Shrine.
On the consumer side, there are religious organizations and churches, and individuals and clergy. Then there's the media. The association is broken down to work with all those segments.
We want to educate people about the vast size and clout of this market. We also want to educate others about the attributes of the religious travel market; it's very resilient, as the hotel industry knows.
Despite war, terrorism and recession, religious travelers don't cancel. And the religious market is the kind that when a convention is over, and if someone forgot to turn in their hotel key card, they mail it back.
Q: How many members does the association have? A: We only started two weeks ago. Put it this way: Our goal is to have 3,000 members this year, and we're on track for 4,000. We already have members from Israel, Africa, Australia and Turkey.
Q: Why has religious travel become so much more popular? A: In the last decade, there's been an increase in the population of people of faith. There are 10 million more Christians in the United States, and more people in general are traveling since 1995.
People of faith are spending more money on products related to their faith -- movies, books and music. Travel is one of the latest things ... They have realized they can travel and have their faith.
Q: What's the range of religious trips? A: From Faith Day at a Colorado Rockies home game, a ski trip and an Outward Bound experience to a traditional pilgrimage to the Holy Land. ... People think of religious travel as being around the world, but there's also plenty of it here in Colorado. There's Six Flags Elitch Gardens, which got 3,000 people for a Christian youth day; Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs; and the Mother Cabrini Shrine. Colorado has an edge when it comes to religious travel because we have a retreat-type setting with the mountains.
Q: Are religious trips more expensive than standard ones? A: Prices are comparable. There's actually been a shift from a poverty mentality among religious travelers to expecting first-class accommodations. Not luxury, but first class. That's new for the travel industry, whether you're talking about a convention or a trip. BIO Kevin Wright Business: President, Religious Market Consulting Group and World Religious Travel Association Work history: Globus, Maupin Travel Inc., Holland America Line.
http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2007/02/19/story13.html
Travel industry veteran taps into faith-based niche
The Denver Business Journal - February 16, 2007
by Paula Moore
Denver Business Journal
Littleton travel-industry pro Kevin Wright has launched the World Religious Travel Association (WRTA) and his own consulting business in recent months.
Wright helped create the WRTA, with Christian-event marketer Honnie Korngold of California, in late January because of the recent explosion in the religious, or "faith-based," travel industry. That business now generates $18 billion a year worldwide and is one of the travel industry's fastest-growing segments, according to travel and religious groups. Association dues range from nothing for some individuals to as much as $10,000 a year for trade groups.
"All faiths have destinations of significance, places to go on pilgrimages," Wright said. "The new, broader definition of religious travel is traveling with fellowship. ... People want a leisure vacation, and to travel with their church community and enjoy things like Scripture study."
Wright grew up in the tourism business. His father and consulting partner, James Wright, worked for what's now the Six Flags Inc. theme-park company and was president and CEO of the Space Needle Corp., manager of Seattle's Space Needle tower. During summers off from Washington State University, Kevin worked for the Holland America Lines cruise-ship company.
Wright moved to Denver in 2000 to work for the Globus travel company, whose U.S. headquarters is in Littleton. The relocation fulfilled a deal Wright made with himself as a 10-year-old living in Southern California. He promised himself he would live in Colorado because of its snow and mountains. The Colorado transplant left Globus and started Religious Market Consulting Group in November 2006.
Q: Why start the World Religious Travel Association? A: Religious travel has been considered a niche, but now we're an industry. With the association, we want to lead, enrich and expand the industry. ... At first, we'll work with travel sellers worldwide and focus on consumers in North America.
Q: What is the association's goal? A: Our goal is to work with religious travel, tourism and hospitality groups. There are seven categories of those groups -- travel wholesalers, tourism boards and cruise lines; travel suppliers and vendors like hotels and travel companies; travel agencies and consortiums; and religious suppliers and vendors like Focus on the Family and Mother Cabrini Shrine.
On the consumer side, there are religious organizations and churches, and individuals and clergy. Then there's the media. The association is broken down to work with all those segments.
We want to educate people about the vast size and clout of this market. We also want to educate others about the attributes of the religious travel market; it's very resilient, as the hotel industry knows.
Despite war, terrorism and recession, religious travelers don't cancel. And the religious market is the kind that when a convention is over, and if someone forgot to turn in their hotel key card, they mail it back.
Q: How many members does the association have? A: We only started two weeks ago. Put it this way: Our goal is to have 3,000 members this year, and we're on track for 4,000. We already have members from Israel, Africa, Australia and Turkey.
Q: Why has religious travel become so much more popular? A: In the last decade, there's been an increase in the population of people of faith. There are 10 million more Christians in the United States, and more people in general are traveling since 1995.
People of faith are spending more money on products related to their faith -- movies, books and music. Travel is one of the latest things ... They have realized they can travel and have their faith.
Q: What's the range of religious trips? A: From Faith Day at a Colorado Rockies home game, a ski trip and an Outward Bound experience to a traditional pilgrimage to the Holy Land. ... People think of religious travel as being around the world, but there's also plenty of it here in Colorado. There's Six Flags Elitch Gardens, which got 3,000 people for a Christian youth day; Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs; and the Mother Cabrini Shrine. Colorado has an edge when it comes to religious travel because we have a retreat-type setting with the mountains.
Q: Are religious trips more expensive than standard ones? A: Prices are comparable. There's actually been a shift from a poverty mentality among religious travelers to expecting first-class accommodations. Not luxury, but first class. That's new for the travel industry, whether you're talking about a convention or a trip. BIO Kevin Wright Business: President, Religious Market Consulting Group and World Religious Travel Association Work history: Globus, Maupin Travel Inc., Holland America Line.
February 4, 2007
Travel Age West cover story "Religious Travel"
Travel Age West magazine is featuring this week a cover story on the World Religious Travel Association and faith-based travel.
You can view both articles at:
1) WRTA story http://www.travelagewest.com/articles.aspx?article=5983
2) Religious Travel story http://www.travelagewest.com/articles.aspx?article=5970
You can view both articles at:
1) WRTA story http://www.travelagewest.com/articles.aspx?article=5983
2) Religious Travel story http://www.travelagewest.com/articles.aspx?article=5970
February 2, 2007
International media attention for WRTA
In just the first week alone, the new World Religious Travel Association has captured international travel media attention in dozens of reporting outlets. Here is just a sampling.....
Travel Weekly: http://www.travelweekly.com/articles.aspx?articleid=54764&rbp=1
Travel Mole: http://www.travelmole.com/stories/1115493.php?mpnlog=1
Modern Agent: http://www.modernagent.com/Resources/Editorial.aspx?n=21214
Travel Smith: http://www.smithtravelresearch.com/smithtravelresearch/news/findnewsarticle.aspx?article=25361
Other travel publications and reporting outlets covering the World Religious Travel Association include ASTA, USAE News, www.travelindustrywire.com, www.hotelexecutive.com, and dozens of other travel media outlets. More travel media storeis and articles are still to come about WRTA including a forthcoming one in Travel Agent Magazine.
Travel Weekly: http://www.travelweekly.com/articles.aspx?articleid=54764&rbp=1
Travel Mole: http://www.travelmole.com/stories/1115493.php?mpnlog=1
Modern Agent: http://www.modernagent.com/Resources/Editorial.aspx?n=21214
Travel Smith: http://www.smithtravelresearch.com/smithtravelresearch/news/findnewsarticle.aspx?article=25361
Other travel publications and reporting outlets covering the World Religious Travel Association include ASTA, USAE News, www.travelindustrywire.com, www.hotelexecutive.com, and dozens of other travel media outlets. More travel media storeis and articles are still to come about WRTA including a forthcoming one in Travel Agent Magazine.
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