Pilgrimages: Next big thing in post-COVID travel

Pilgrimage is not just made for the religious. Pilgrimage routes, which are traditionally religious, may provide visitors from many walks of life the opportunity to find inner peace and reconnect with the world. After years of suffering from the consequences of the pandemic, we all deserve to be somewhere reflecting and reconnecting with ourselves, with others, and with the Lord.

As people migrate away from short-haul city breaks and toward fewer flights and longer travels with a feeling of purpose, more visitors than ever are embarking on pilgrimages, a trend that may thrive in a post-COVID future.

According to Tim Williamson of UK travel business Responsible Travel. “Our pilgrimage reservations have increased dramatically in recent years,” “They're highly popular with solitary travelers, but families are increasingly taking them as well. The effect of the lockdown has taught people the value of community, people may have craved personal space but they have also missed the personal connection. One way to do it is to engage one's self in pilgrimage.

Early Celtic saints of the fifth and sixth centuries, such as St. David, would have appreciated a voyage immersed in nature, which is becoming an increasingly popular reason for taking a pilgrimage. His eponymous Welsh city was a pilgrimage destination rivaling Santiago de Compostela in Spain throughout the Middle Ages. The Shrine of St. David, with its magnificent medieval cathedral, marks the culmination of a new week-long pilgrimage.

Pilgrimage might be able to aid us in our recovery from the pandemic. It can allow us to relive and reflect on the times we've lost fighting to stop the infection from spreading. It may assist us in appreciating the importance of spiritual connection and how solitude can aid in the attainment of tranquility.

The pandemic has caused us to pause and reflect on our outlook on life. Pilgrimage forces us to evaluate our circumstances and consider our daily alternatives. Pilgrimage could also be a way of showing gratitude and honoring the creator for the tenacity and resilience we have in the face of the pandemic's obstacles.

Pilgrimage is for many individuals about making an “investment,” not necessarily in the physical or monetary sense, but rather in being willing to open up to change and the repercussions that come with it. COVID-19 has posed obstacles and constraints that few individuals have ever encountered. As a result, many people will be looking for adventures that will provide them with both transformation and therapeutic benefits.

We are all world pilgrims, and as we continue on our new normal journeys, there is nothing more powerful and life-changing than being able to express gratitude and discover the wonders of the globe through pilgrimage.

Would you give pilgrimage a try? Your perceptions of the whole world might change in an instant!