We've been in Europe, but returned again to celebrate Christmas at the Vatican. While the dollar cheaper.
- Hossan Hanif
In the Christmas holidays this year, Candra Barkah (45) and family vacation in Taiwan. For a year they save money, surf the internet diligently to learn the travel routes, and look cheap airline ticket promo. The result, they get a promo package tour hotels and tickets ngirit. Price of hotel rooms discounted up to 30 percent.
Overseas Candra family vacation destination because they want to find a different atmosphere than at home, such as the feeling of winter.
The Hossan Hanif (55) spent the end of this year with a vacation to Europe and a pilgrimage to Lourdes, France. He set off on Friday last week and came home two weeks later.
"We've been in Europe, but returned again to celebrate Christmas at the Vatican. While the dollar cheaper. Could save more dollars, "said Hossan.
Package holidays and pilgrimages abroad at the end of the year sold well. Travel agency was swamped with orders. Antratour, for example, dispatched eight tour groups to Europe and Asia over the Christmas holidays and New Year. The number was increased fourfold compared to the usual month. Countries visited include the Netherlands, France, and South Korea.
Cities in the Middle East, including Capernaum, Cana, Jerusalem, and Bethlehem, is also in demand. According to Anita Silaban, Director Metanoia Deltamas City Tours and Travel, the tour participant to every city that 20-50 people.
Each year an estimated 14,000 people from Indonesia Christians visiting the Holy Land. However, in recent years, there is increasing trend of tour participants. Director of Stella Travel Kwarta Aldo Rinaldi stated, in 2009-2010, increasing to 40 percent of tour participants.
The strengthening of the rupiah against the U.S. dollar also sparked the interest of travel abroad. Is considering a number of travel agents set the price of package tours in U.S. dollars.
Metanoia Tours and Travel, for example, to charge 2500 dollars for religious tourism to the Middle East. Package price is equivalent to USD 22.25 million if the exchange rate 1 U.S. dollar is USD 8900. Rupiah issued would be more if the U.S. dollar strengthened.
Spiritual experience
For Christians, to go abroad not just a vacation, but also make pilgrimages to the call of the soul. Thus, the huge cost does not matter.
Natalina Avialika (32) spend Rp 81 million to finance himself and his parents live in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve in December 2009. The desire to feel Christmas in Bethlehem has appeared in him since 23 years ago. He also called spiritual experiences acquired more valuable than the money spent.
Spiritual experience in a pilgrimage tour also felt Azas Tigor Nainggolan, Chairman of the Jakarta City Council Transportation. He went with his wife and her parents to Lourdes, September 2000. At that time, Tigor touching experience when watching in-law to walk again without the aid of a cane.
Sunjoto Francis (30), a resident of Banjarmasin, last November on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and Bethlehem with his beloved wife. In a grueling pilgrimage, when he arrived at Cana, Francis renew wedding vows with his wife.
However, after all, a pilgrimage as well as year-end holidays can also be done in Indonesia, such as at the Convent of Caramel Valley, Cikanyere, Cianjur, West Java. Thousands of pilgrims come to the monastery was not only on Christmas Eve, but also on New Year's Eve.
Sister Lisa PKarm of Caramel Valley Monastery of Public Relations said, on the eve of Christmas past, pilgrims making 5000 membeludak candles provided is insufficient. They come from a number of areas, such as the Padang, Lampung, and Semarang.
Joseph Sungkowo, pilgrims from Yogyakarta, said that he came all the way to Caramel Valley to pray for healing. "I have a
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