From May 5 to 19 Colombia will host the International Congress of Religious Tourism with the motto “Tourism and Development: Evangelization and Peace in the territories”.
It is an itinerant event that will travel ten cities, starting with Bogotá May 5 and 6, and culminating in Santa Marta on 18 and 19 of the same month.
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The Congress is organized by the Episcopal Conference of Colombia, the World Religious Tourism Network and the Corporation Organization Minute of God.
Likewise, it is part of the celebration of the 2025 jubilee that is focused on hope. Therefore, the organizers indicate in their websiteCongress “will be an opportunity to reflect on faith, forgiveness and hope in a global context of transformation and challenges.”
“Congress will explore how evangelization and tourism can promote the social and economic development of communities. Tourism will stand out as a tool to promote peace and reconciliation in Colombia,” they add.
For this, religious leaders, tourism experts and community representatives have met.
As indicated, the event is expected to “strengthen the management of religious tourism in Colombia, enhance the country’s image as a reference in religious tourism and contribute to evangelization and peace in territories through tourism.”
The other cities that are part of the Congress program are Ibagué (May 8), Gunsmith (May 9), Carthage (May 10), Guadalajara de Buga (May 11 and 12), Tuluá (May 13), Popayán (May 14) and Cartagena de Indias (May 16 and 17).
As part of the event, the organizers have highlighted each of the tourist attractions of the host cities, such as the cathedrals and sanctuaries, including the Cerro de Monserrate and the Divine Child, both in Bogotá.
There are also the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Carmen, in Ibagué, the Sanctuary of the Virgin of Armero, in Armero, the Basilica of the Lord of Miracles, in Buga, among others.
It also highlights the celebration of Holy Week in Popayán, recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Eduardo Berdejo
Professional in Social Communication of the National University of San Marcos in Peru, I have more than 20 years of experience in Catholic digital journalism. As part of ACI Press, I have been sent to cover the trips of Pope Francis to Cuba, Mexico, Colombia and Peru, in addition to the Synod of Sinodality in the Vatican in 2023.