Thousands of people descended on St Peter’s Square earlier this week as the world waited to see who would be elected as Pope. (Featured image by xiquinhosilva)
And on Wednesday night we got our answer as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires was unveiled as the new head of the Catholic Church.
Now known as Pope Francis, his appointment was welcomed by Catholic leaders all over the world, who hailed him as the perfect choice in what are troubled times for the church.
Nearly as happy as those in the Catholic Church were tour operators and holiday companies in Rome, as the 266th could prove very lucrative for Italian tourism.
Pope Francis is the first Jesuit Pope, the first Pope from the Southern Hemisphere and, most importantly, the first Pope from Latin America.
Tour operators are licking their lips at the tourist numbers that this could potentially bring in, as 40 per cent of the world’s Catholics live in Latin America.
Of the top ten countries with the largest Catholic populations, four are in Latin America – so travel firms are expecting a strong year ahead.
“Of course we are expecting an increase, absolutely,” said a spokeswoman for the Italian Tourist Office.
“A wonderful man has been elected and every Sunday at midday there is a blessing from his window and many people from Latin America and all over the world will come to see him.”
Rome has been at the heart of the world’s focus and media attention since Pope Benedict XVI resigned last month.
This has translated into increased tourist numbers to the city, with travel website Expedia reporting a surge in interest in the city.
Hotel bookings were up by a third in the week the Pope resigned, compared to the same time last year, and mayor of Rome Gianni Alemanno is reported to have asked the government for additional funds to handle the influx of visitors.
