How does Passover, Easter and Ramadan affect travelers around the world?
Once every 33 years, the 3 monotheistic religions celebrate one of their most important holidays simultaneously. This coincidence is so rare because the three celebrations are based on different calendars and other factors that determine when these holidays take place. The tourism industry is based on seasonality ,and during these holidays, people are much more likely to travel and discover all sorts of tourist attractions.
Jewish communities from all around the world get together to eat, celebrate Pesach and to remember the exodus from Egypt. This year, Pesach started on the 15th of April and ended on April 22nd.
Christians celebrate Easter on the first Sunday following the full moon that occurs after the spring equinox. Good Friday marks the crucifixion of Jesus, under the Roman governor of Judea. This year Easter took place on Sunday 17th of April.
Ramadan is the holiest month in Islam according to the lunar calendar. Because the calendar follows the cycles of the moon, unlike the Gregorian calendar commonly used in the West, Ramadan falls at different times each year. On this occasion, Ramadan took place during the whole month of April.
During these festivities, people from all around the world travel to various destinations, with the main purpose of connecting with their essence and their beliefs. For Jewish people, the place to be during Pesach is Jerusalem, where people get together next to the Wailing Wall to pray and celebrate the holidays with a Seder.
Mecca, which is believed to be the birthplace of Muhammad, is undoubtedly the best destination to celebrate Ramadan. Mecca is considered to be the holiest city in Islam and every year more than 2 million Muslims from all over the world undertake a pilgrimage journey (known as Hajj) to this city. Tourists that are interested in having a first hand experience with Ramadan can also visit countries like Jordan, Egypt, Iran and Morocco.
Every year, thousands of Christians from all over the world travel to Jerusalem to celebrate Easter, by visiting and praying in the old city during the Good Friday procession.
That leads to an overload for travel retailers that build their business to work on an average workload. The only way to be able to support high volumes is by using an automated, scalable system with a technological solution that provides a better experience with a digital and personalized touch.
But, if you really want to experience the intersection of these 3 celebrations, Jerusalem is the best place to be, where everyone meets and prays within a radius of 1 Km.
The Jewish community attends the Western Wall, the Catholics celebrate Easter next to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and Muslims attend the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
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