Lima Newsroom, Mar 26, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).
Colombia will host the International Congress on Religious Tourism May 5–19 with the theme “Tourism and Development: Evangelization and Peace in the National Territory.”
The traveling event will tour 10 cities beginning in Bogotá May 5–6 and culminating in Santa Marta May 18–19.
The congress is organized by the Colombian Bishops’ Conference, the World Religious Tourism Network, and the Minuto de Dios organization.
The congress is also part of the celebration of the 2025 Jubilee, which is focused on hope. The organizers note on their website that the congress “will be an opportunity to reflect on faith, forgiveness, and hope in a global context of transformation and challenges.”
“The congress will explore how evangelization and tourism can promote the social and economic development of communities. Tourism will be highlighted as a tool to promote peace and reconciliation in Colombia,” the organizers explain.
Attending the congress will be religious leaders, tourism experts, and community representatives.
The organizers hope the event will help “foster the development of religious tourism in Colombia, enhance the country’s image as a leader in religious tourism, and contribute to evangelization and peace in the outlying areas through tourism.”
Other cities included in the congress program are Ibagué (May 8), Armero (May 9), Cartago (May 10), Guadalajara de Buga (May 11–12), Tuluá (May 13), Popayán (May 14), and Cartagena de Indias (May 16–17).
As part of the event, the organizers have highlighted each of the host cities’ tourist attractions, such as cathedrals and shrines, including those on Mount Monserrate and the Divine Child, both in Bogotá.
Other sites include the Shrine of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Ibagué, the Shrine of the Virgin of Armero in Armero, and the Basilica of the Lord of Miracles in Buga, among others.
Another attraction is the celebration of Holy Week in Popayán, recognized by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
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Tourists keep searching for beauty, inner peace, and serenity. 2025 International Congress on Religious Tourism is a meaningful initiative. Wishing the participants and organizers of the Colombia event, a joy-filled experience.