Pope Francis: Increase in Aussie bookings for Catholic travel tours to Rome after pontiff’s death

Aussie tourists on pilgrimage tours of Rome have a front-row seat to history after the death of Pope Francis, as travel agencies are bombarded with travel requests.

Aussie tourists on pilgrimage tours of Rome have a front-row seat to history after the death of Pope Francis.

And faith-based travel agencies are being bombarded by people who haven’t yet booked wanting to nab a coveted spot on a tour to Italy within the next fortnight.

Travellers on an upcoming sold-out May tour, run by Sydney-based travel company Harvest Journeys, will likely be in Rome when the conclave elects the new pope.

The faithful attend a Rosary in homage to Pope Francis following his death in Saint Peter’s Square in Vatican City. Picture: Getty Images

Tourists from Queensland’s Cairns, who are on a current Harvest Journeys tour, had travelled to Rome just days ago to witness the Pope’s canonisation of teenager Carlo Acutis, which had been due to take place on April 27.

The travellers were in Rome when news of the Pope’s death broke and the tour has now been accordingly adapted.

Selina Hasham, CEO of Harvest Journeys travel company. Picture: LinkedIn

Harvest Journeys CEO Selina Hasham said the atmosphere in Rome was “supercharged” even before the pontiff’s death as 2025 is a Jubilee year for the Catholic Church, leading to a huge increase in pilgrims making the journey to Italy.

“We will no doubt have some groups on the ground during the conclave, and that’s a very historic and significant time,” she said.

Pilgrims were already making their way to Rome for the Jubilee year before the Pope’s death. Picture: AP

Steven Green, the CEO of Olive Tree Travel in Melbourne’s Gardenvale, said the firm had already received calls from people keen to land a place on one of the firm’s Catholic pilgrimage tours, which they were able to accommodate.

The firm’s upcoming priest-led  ‘An Italian Pilgrimage Tour’, which costs $8,990 per person, will likely coincide with the conclave’s election of the new pope.

Steven Green, CEO of Melbourne faith-based travel firm Olive Tree Travel.

“We have prepared the group for the fact that we may not be able to get them into the Sistine Chapel where  the conclave takes place,” Mr Green said.

“The hope is that if that is closed off to pilgrims the Vatican would open up other chapels and areas that are usually otherwise closed to them as a kind of trade-off.”

Mr Green said there had been a massive increase in demand for spiritual travel in recent times.

Chip Popescu, managing director of Surfers Paradise travel firm Europe Holidays, said the company had already received inquiries about travel packages to Rome after the Pope’s death.

“There have been quite a few emails and also calls regarding people wanting to find out if we can help them with packages and also independent travel,” he said.