Religious Tourism, also known as Pilgrimage, is one of the oldest forms of tourism and is an integral component of the tourism industry. Religious tourism is a journey made by a pilgrim or a group of pilgrims, who travels from place to place, usually journeying a long distance and to a sacred place as an act of devotion.
East Africa’s denominations and churches are growing by the day and pilgrimage’s potential has undeniably gained momentum. This can be observed in Rwanda and Kenya, two countries where religion and spirituality plays an important role.
Rwanda
Religious tourism where thousands of people visit holy sites for spiritual fulfillment is rapidly picking up in Rwanda. The country has therefore recognized the need to sustain tourism Infrastructures for Religious tourists and pilgrims.
Kibeho village:
The “land of a thousand hills” seeks to expand its tourism sector by promoting pilgrimage opportunities and in particular the apparitions witnessed in the Kibeho area of southern Rwanda.
On November 28, 1981 the first apparitions were reported from the little village of Kibeho, with teenagers talking of having seen the images of Mary, mother of Jesus, something that kept occurring time and again until 1989.
In particular the visions seen in August 1982 are on record for having given a preview of the gruesome events in 1994 and those affected at the time gave testimony of seeing rivers of blood and mutilated bodies, omens of the atrocities to come. The Catholic Church, through Bishop Misago of Gikongoro, sanctioned public devotion in August 1988 and formally declared the authenticity of the apparitions in June 2001.
The declaration made by the bishop of Gikongoro reads in part like this and will undoubtedly be featured in pamphlets, maps and on the promotional websites: “Kibeho become a place of pilgrimage and of spiritual encounter for all who seek Christ and who come there to pray, a fundamental centre of conversion, of reparation for the sins of the world and of reconciliation, a point of meeting for ‘all who were dispersed’, as for those who aspire to the values of compassion and fraternity without borders, a fundamental centre that recalls the Gospel of the Cross”.
In spite of the Vatican’s recognition, few outside Rwanda knew of these events until recently. However as word began to spread and attracted adherents and followers of Virgin Mary, from near and far, Christians began trooping in Kibeho to pay homage.
It is against this background that the Ministry of Trade and Industry in partnership with Nyaruguru District organized a 3 day Kibeho Fair which was officially opened on August 14th, 2013 on the eve of Ascension Day which is known to attract numbers of Pilgrims all over the world.
The Permanent Secretary reiterated the importance of the Kibeho Fair which was organized for the first time and promised that a second Fair will be organized and the Venue will be expanded to accommodate more businesses.
Today, the number of Pilgrims visiting the Kibeho Shrine is constantly growing with currently number of Pilgrims ranging from 25,000-30,000. The Shrine is visited three times in a year and a proposal to organize the Kibeho Fair along these dates is currently on the table.
By formally recognizing the area as a religious tourism destination, the country’s tourism industry allowed tour guides and local safari operators to include Kibeho in their itineraries when taking tourists to see the ”land of a thousand hills”.
Growing pilgrimage activities and infrastructure:
Moreover as religious tourism comprises a host of activities which include pilgrimages, missionary travel, faith-based tours, leisure or fellowship vocations; crusades, rallies and conventions as well as monastery visits Rwanda has potential to offer more than just the Kibeho’s visits.
Rwanda is indeed blessed to have “Kibeho”, where religious tourism can be developed, to give a great boost to the economy, but due to lack of sufficient awareness about this Holy place, coupled with lack of suitable accommodation available at Kibeho, the Shrine is yet to achieve its full potential.
The Private Sector will soon start building necessary infrastructure like hotels, and modern Expo Stands to accommodate the growing number of pilgrims and tourists in Kibeho Holy land.
Religious experiences:
Apart from Kibeho, Rwanda offers a rich religious history and culture, a perfect place for spiritual retreats. Visitors can enjoy guided tours of numerous churches in the country, some of them dating back to more than 100 years. Pilgrims can learn the history of the first missionaries and be delighted by traditional Rwandan church décor. Members of the community are always happy to provide a tour giving local insights into the development of the church, religion in Rwanda and the changes that have been witnessed.
Kenya
Kenya offers various possibilities for religious tourism, with numerous religious sites, spiritual activities and heart whelming experiences for Christians.
The Village of Mary Mother of God in Subukia:
Located in the Great Rift Valley Escarpment, the Village of Mary Mother of God in Subukia is one of Kenya’s major religious sites.
The shrine is owned by the Kenya Episcopal Conference and managed by a Catholic order, the Franciscan Friars. Although it is meant to be a shrine for Catholic pilgrims, the Village of Mary Mother of God receives many non-Catholics that come to deepen their religious beliefs as She is the Mother of all the baptized, not just of Catholics.
It was named the Village of Mary Mother of God in 1984 by Maurice Cardinal Otunga. Subukia, which is derived from the Maasai word isupuku, meaning higher grounds, is also a meeting place of two hemispheres, as the Equator runs through it.
At the foot of the hills housing the shrine is a small chapel, where both Catholic and non-Catholic worshippers confess their sins before proceeding up the hills. However, the walk up is not just another casual one. Along the way, there are 14 prayer stations, commonly known as ‘The Way of the Cross’. There are prayers to recite at each station to commemorate how Jesus carried the Cross before He was crucified.
Furthermore, the shrine is the source of a spring of cool waters believed to have healing powers. The spring started flowing in December 1991, and has never dried up. Many pilgrims carry containers to fetch the ‘holy’ water from the spring.
At the centre of the compound a new chapel is being constructed, designed in the shape of the crown of Mary the Mother of Jesus. Upon completion, the chapel is expected to host more than 4,500 worshippers.
“Nyaatha” beatification and pilgrimage tourism development:
Kenya is also successfully seeking to enhance pilgrimage tourism, especially with Italy following the discussion of possible twining of Anfo Province, the home to the late Sr. Irene Stefani “Nyaatha” and Nyeri County where she died and was beatified in May this year.The ceremony of beatification of Sr. Irene Stefani was done on 23rd May 2015 in Nyeri town and brought together thousands of pilgrims from across the world.
The Venerable Sr. Irene Stefani, in baptism Aurelia Jacoba Mercede, was born on the 22nd August 1891 at Anfo in Italy. She travelled to Kenya in 1915 where she worked as a nurse at British military hospitals during WW1. Following the war, she settled in Nyeri, where she became known as “Nyaatha”, meaning “mother of mercy” in the Kikuyu language, where she worked until she died in 1930 at the age of 39. She is praised for her love and compassion for people, especially the people of Kenya
The East African Affairs, Commerce and Tourism Cabinet Secretary recently expressed that “There shall be discussions with the County of Nyeri for the possibility of twining the two areas as a launching pad of pilgrimage tourism not only for the two countries but for other pilgrims across the globe”.
Anfo mayor praised Sister Irene’s work of mercy and compassion that have made her an icon in Kenya and Italy and pledged to work with Kenya in strengthening her legacy. Anfo is located in the beautiful Brescia Mountains with about 500 residents.
Christian Conventions and Community Development:
Other than sacred sites visits, Kenya is a preferred base for African Christian evangelism conventions in East Africa for western church leaders. Every year Kenya hosts many Christians from both the eastern world and western worlds since it is a country where you find the freedom of worship and the infrastructure to hold major and bigger church conventions. The Kenya’s Uhuru Park has been one of the favored places in Kenya to hold such conventions, it has hosted the Catholic popes in the years, and recently it hosted the legendary American black bishop, T.D Jakes and many more.
Western Christian Churches have been involved in the Community development projects in Kenya by providing poverty alleviation community projects. Many of these are self sustaining community development projects.
These include among others:
The building of Health centers and Educational institutions
The formation of Micro finance Organizations for financing micro businesses thus alleviating poverty.
Building of various churches and church institutions.
Building of HIV/ Aids Orphan children’s homes and schools.
Planting of Trees in Kenyan Rural Villages in order to create fire wood and encourage
Donation of school books, fees, uniforms, shoes, and sanitary pads to the Girl child.
Providing business opportunities to the less fortunate Communities.
Encouraging sports activities among the youth in order to make them engaged to avoid being swayed into malpractices such as taking drugs and involving into activities.
Other Spiritual Destinations In The World
Many of the world’s major religions began in the Middle East and spirituality is an important factor in the daily lives of everyone that lives here. Although religion has caused wars and conflicts in many instances in the region, most spiritual tourism here is far removed from these types of troubles. You’ll find everything from historic and ancient sites frequented by pilgrims to Red Sea resorts hosting yoga retreats.
Footsteps of Jesus, Israel
Many tour operators specialize in retracing the footsteps of Jesus Christ in Israel and take tourists to the major stops on the Jesus trail such as Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and the Church of the Nativity.
Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Inside mecca sits the holiest shrine in Islam, the Kaaba, a cupoidal building inside the al-Masjid al-Haram mosque, the Sacred Mosque, where the annual Hajj revolves around. Every muslim is expected to make a pilgrimage here sometime during their life.
Red Sea, Egypt
The posh Red Sea resorts are one of the best places to take a yoga class or spiritual retreat in the Middle East, especially if luxury is on your mind.
Rock-Hewn Churches, Ethiopia
The 11 monolithic cave churches hewn out of rock in the 13th Century in Lalibela are an important Christian pilgrimage site.
Istanbul, Turkey
Formerly called Byzantium and Constantinople and once the capital of the Roman and Ottoman empires, this bustling city straddling two continents is home to an astounding number of biblical sites, Muslim mosque, and many important religious artifacts that attract pilgrims from across the globe.
Atlantic Coast, Morocco
Yoga, detox, and luxury health retreats can be found at resorts up and down the Moroccan coastline. New age activities have been around since the 60’s when Hendrix and other free love rock starts were around.
Jerusalem, Israel
The old walled city of Jerusalem, a holy site of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, is dominated by historic sites such as the Dome of the Rock, Wailing Wall, and church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Muslim/Jewish/Christian Sites, Iran
The country is a hotspot for religious pilgrims and three major religions are featured heavily here. Numerous sites exist for separate tours of each.
Dead Sea, Jordan
When you’re finished with your yoga class and your mind is open try floating in the saltiest water on earth or go through a mud therapy session to further your peace.
Yoga and Safari, Tanzania
Who says a safari has to be all you do at the big game reserves. Numerous operators offer combination trips where you can do yoga at a nature lodge before and after looking for wildlife.
Spiritual Tourism is Rapidly Gaining Popularity in South Africa
Spiritual tourism in South Africa, however, is perhaps centred less upon a traveller’s religious beliefs than on a desire to seek out and to learn more of his or her roots. Nevertheless, in its own context, this type of journey could also be seen as a form of pilgrimage, but one in which the primary goal is to commune with one’s past, rather than with a deity.
Africa is ancient, as seen in its vast areas of desert and the erosion that, over millions of years, has worn many of its towering mountains till their peaks have become flattened like Cape Town’s iconic Table Mountain. Religious shrines are not the main destinations for spiritual tourism in South Africa, but instead the hills and the valleys that have preserved the bones and the artefacts that once belonged to the ancestors of all mankind.
One such destination is the Makgabeng Plateau. It lies in the shadow of the magnificent Blouberg Mountain Range and in the heart of Limpopo. The plateau is famed not just for its abundant wildlife and varied flora, but also for its rock art. Here the long-departed San and Khoikhoi tribes that once thrived in this area have left an indelible record of their lives and their customs in the ancient rock. More recently, the Northern Sotho people have added to the pictorial records that have become a magnet for spiritual tourism in South Africa.
In addition to the works left by the Bushman tribes who may have inhabited the areas for as much as 120 thousand years, the local Bahananwa people have left their own records. The most noticeable of these are white and yellow finger paintings that depict the capture and forced removal by rail of their chief by the ZAR government in 1894. These paintings are believed to be the first example of the use of art in southern Africa as the means for its indigenous peoples to express protest against their oppression. The Makgabeng Plateau is unique among spiritual tourism destinations in South Africa in that it is the only rock art location where the works of the San, the Khoikhoi and the Bahananwa peoples are to be found in a single site.
Whether to view these ancient records to experience the natural beauty of the plateau and mountain range or to marvel at the region’s wildlife, you will need a base from which to explore. At Makgabeng Farm Lodge, we offer the choice of luxury accommodation, fine dining and all the comforts of home, while our Rock Art Camp is perfect for lovers of nature and spiritual tourism in South Africa.
