Religious tourism could get boost from canonization of Brother André

Full article: http://www.cjad.com/news/565/1188077

With the canonization of Brother Andre set for October, there are renewed calls to develop the potential of Quebec's religious tourism.

A study is underway by a former director of Quebec's Tourism Bureau to mine the potential of religious tourism in the province, and to publicize sites such as St Joseph Oratory in Montreal and Ste-Anne-de-Beaupre in Quebec City. Tourism analysts say the possible growth is considerable: 20% a year over the next 15 years.

Quebec may be a long way away from being a destination like the Vatican but Dr. Clarence Epstein, Concordia University's director of special projects and cultural affairs in the Office of the President, says the government can start taking steps now.

"It's going to take more than just the religious or the individual to bring tourists here. It's going to take a combination of factors that make Quebec such an interesting place to visit," Epstein tells CJAD News.

And that includes preserving and developing abandoned places of worship.

"We have to make those buildings alive again because the congregations that are leaving them now are certainly not going to give us much hope for how we handle our heritage going forward."
The religious tourism market is estimated at $18-billion dollars worldwide, $10-billion of that in North American.

"The churches of Quebec are what the castles are to Europe," Epstein says.

"And if (tourism officials and the government) play on that, and use that as part of its heritage strategy for marketing Quebec as a destination for whether it's religious or heritage tourism, then there's a larger opportunity of succeeding and convincing people to come and visit us."