An estimated 30,000 Christians visited Israel, Rome, Greece, and Egypt between October and December. (While the government sponsored many of the trips, churches and nonprofits backed others.) Thanks to increased awareness and funding, this number has skyrocketed in recent years—tripling since 2010 and up from 2,000 a decade ago. Until last year, the government had only sponsored Christians’ trips to Jerusalem; the city is still the preferred destination for 80 percent of the travelers.
via State-Sponsored Pilgrimages Under Review in Nigeria | Christianity Today.
