Will Tourists Follow Pope Francis into the Dangers of the Middle East?

iAFRICA.COM

JORDAN---Jordan, home to many Islamic and Christian holy sites, hopes a visit this month by Pope Francis will promote religious tourism and boost an industry hit hard by regional turmoil. Tourism contributes 12 percent of gross domestic product in the desert kingdom and last year saw arrivals drop 10 percent to 5.4 million with revenues falling 6.25 percent to $3-billion. Pope Francis visits the Holy Land on May 24-26 with the first stop in Jordan, home to seven million people including about 200 000 Christians, more or less evenly split between Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox. [link]