Dear God, please send the Philippines some tourists
Work is under way to restore many of the Spanish colonial-era churches around the country as the government tries to lure Catholics from overseas
It’s this trend of “faith tourism” – people travelling specifically to visit holy sites – that has Philippine tourism officials looking to capitalise on the country’s religious monuments.
Earlier this year, the Philippine Department of Tourism announced plans to turn the country into a “faith tourism mecca”. And with work underway to restore many of the Spanish colonial-era churches, the government hopes to promote the country as a religious tourism destination for Catholics overseas.
Tourism in the Philippines has long lagged behind other Southeast Asian countries despite the lure of its tropical climate, archipelago of islands, white-sand beaches and other natural wonders. The country drew 6.7 million tourists in 2017, far fewer than the 35 million that visited Thailand.
“The natural attractions, though unique in many ways, are not sufficiently strong in themselves to attract the numbers required to support a significant tourism sector,” a section on the department’s website reads.