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SELLING FAITH BASED,SPIRITUAL & PERSONAL JOURNEYS

Steve Crowhurst, CTC

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Selling Faith Based, Spiritual & Personal Journeys © 2013 Steve Crowhurst, SMP Training Co.All rights reserved. Printed in Canada. No part of this book may be used or reproduced, stored in a retrieval systemor transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwisewhatsoever without written permission or authorization through payment of a Permission to Copy fee (except in thecase of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews) . For information please contact SMP Training Co.steve@smptraining.com or call 250-738-0064

Protected by the Canadian Copyright Act.

For general information on SMP publications and services please email: steve@smptraining.com

Illustrations by Steve Crowhurst unless otherwise noted.

Limit of liability/disclaimer of warranty: SMP Training Co., publisher and the author make no representations orwarranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim allwarranties, including without limitation, warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be createdor extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable forevery situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher and author is not engaged in renderinglegal or other professional services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professionalperson should be sought. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising here from. The factthat an organisation or website is referred to in this work as a citation and / or potential source of further informationdoes not mean that the author or the publisher endorses the information, the organisation or website may provideor recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet websites listed in this work mayhave changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read.

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CONTENTS PAGE

Welcome and Introduction 4

Facts, Figures & Faith Travel Trends 5

The World View on Religiosity 6

Religious Data, Graphs & Images 7

Religions Around the World 8

What is Faith? 8

What is Spirituality? 8

What is a Pilgrimage? 9

What is a Personal Journey? 10

The Local Pied Piper 11

The Generic Faith Based Tour 12

Establishing Yourself as a Faith Based Professional 13

MARKETING IDEAS 14

Free Christian ClipArt 14

Pay a Subscription for Better Graphics 15

DIY: Creating Your Own Graphics 15

Local Store Marketing 17

Notice Boards 17

Agency Window 17

Direct Mail 18

Postcards 18

Email, Website, Facebook 19

Social Media General 20

Marketing General 20

Not Your Typical Tour Ideas 21

1. Afro American Tours 22

2. Angels, Auras & Demons 23

3. The Cathedrals, Churches, Mosques & Monasteries Tour 24

4. The Crusades, Cathars & Templars Tour 25

5. First Nations Tours 26

6. Gastronomic Pilgrimages – Cooking With Faith Tour 27

7. The Hidden Christians of Japan Tour 28

8. The Labrynths of the World Tour 29

9. The Religious Ancestry & Cemetery Tour 30

10. Religious Antiques Tour 31

11. Sifus, Sufis, Senseis & Swarmis Tour 32

12. The Spiritual & Special Places Tour 33

13. The Stained Glass Tour 34

14. The Symbols, Hieroglyphs & Icons Tour 35

15. The Visionary Sites Tour 36

16. The Women of Grace Tour 37

Resources 38

About the Author 39

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Welcome & Introduction

Religion is a very personal thing. Some people love to talk about it, others prefer to keep their thoughtsprivate, some are on a spiritual journey that has no religious basis and many are seeking the meaning oftheir specific life and planning a series of personal journeys and pilgrimages that are meaningful only tothem. One thing everyone seems to share and that’s the need to travel to their “spot” where all thingsuniversal happen for them – and that’s the moment when they need your talents and expertise.

This guide will give you an insight into creating, marketing and selling your own faith based and spiritualtours at the same time offering a custom FIT planning service for those seeking a path and personaljourney that does not exist in a travel brochure.

It is not necessary for you to belong to a specific faith or religion, attend church or have a personal journeyplanned of your own. However, if you did or do, then you`ll be much closer to knowing and understandingthe needs and wants of your religious clients. If you are a very religious person then it might be that, foryou, your entire focus is on developing tours that hold meaning specifically to you and the members ofyour religion. Your religion then becomes a niche.

If your beliefs encompass all other religions, then all faiths of the world are open to you and choosing aniche could be very confusing as there are a few thousand religions and faiths world-wide. Your multi-faith tours will no doubt be built on the religions located in and around your city.

Spirituality is another niche to be explored. Sciences such as Yoga border on the spiritual. Practices thatinclude meditation are the basis for tours to various Asian countries. Pilgrimages range from hiking ancientreligious trails to following the path of Buddhist monks throughout Japan.

Personal journeys can undertake many routes and have as many reasons for being planned andcompleted. Personal journeys are not always religious based however there can be a religious under tone,a faith and dedication to completing the journey so much so that the traveller is as close to a religiousrealization and rapture as the person dedicated to and practising one religion might be.

There it is. A world of opportunity no matter which god or spirit you favour. This is also a business. Thereis money to be made as you assist your clients to find what they are looking for to quell their searching.Let’s get busy and get you started on your own journey as you study how to Sell Faith Based, Spiritual &Personal Journeys.

THE TRAVEL AGENT’S STORE COACHING PROGRAM

To help you get the maximum benefit from your purchase The Travel Agent’s Storeoffers a free coaching session with the author of the e-Guide. The coaching sessionslast for up to one-hour and are conducted via Skype. Once you have read through andstudied this e-Guide jot down any questions, challenges you have, then email tosteve@thetravelagentsstore.com to arrange a coaching date and time.

Be sure to take advantage of this offer!

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Religious Data, Graphs & Images

Maps and graphs that show where religions are located around the world can be found by using a searchterm such as “religions of the world” and then, if Google is your search engine of choice, click on Imagesand you will receive the screen shown below.

Be sure to check the year or when the information was sourced as many of the graphs and graphics arenot current. Also check the copyright and creative commons information before you use them. If in doubt,contact the graphic designer, website, blogger and ask if you can use their artwork.

Once you obtain the owner’s permission and they understand how you wish to use their imagery you’llbe free and clear of any legal battles. Make sure you credit and source the image to the creator, as in thedesigner. Click on the above image to view in real time - the hyperlink is already set.

Explore the data that has meaning to you and learn to read between the lines to extract additionalinformation that might fuel a new opportunity. You will be reading about people who are religious, non-religious, atheist, faithful, spiritual and so on. Each heading could be suggesting to you that a businessopportunity exists in your area / community.

Image BankStart to amass your own collection of images that feature religious andspiritual scenes, scenery, icons etc., and you can start by walking aroundyour own community and photographing churches, cemeteries, noticeboards, sunsets & sunrises and continue this process when you travel on aFAM or personal vacation. If you are artistic or have friends who are,create your own religious artwork so that, like your photographs, you ownthe copyright. The image shown here is one I concocted out of wood andtin and then photographed and then using Elements, saved it as a poster.Photoshop Elements is not expensive at $69 on sale.

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The Generic Faith Based Tour

Generic may not quite be the word to use, however it’s important to note that the faith based itinerarieshave not changed too much beyond what has been avaiable for many years now. Naturally the religionsand events and the places where those events happened are not going to change – however what canchange is what we call the “mix” and then of course the reason to go.

You should sell the generic tour and itineraries as they will attract the first time faith based traveller. Thewell travelled client who has completed a couple of the generic itineraries would be looking for somethingdifferent. They still want to beconnected to their faith or at least tohave some connection to the religiousgenre when travelling. So what can youoffer that’s different?

Australia’s Faith in TrafalgarDeveloped as "a direct response togrowing demand from Australiantravellers", Trafalgar is now offeringthree new itineraries themed aroundreligious history and Christianity. Thetours are exclusive to the Australianmarket. The guided trips, based aroundEurope and the Middle East, featuresuch Christian classics as Vatican City,the Sistine Chapel, Jerusalem andBasilica in Lourdes, as well as somelesser known sites in Portugal, Spain andFrance.

Globus Offers These Itineraries

California Missions

Christian Italy

England's Christian Heritage

Follow the Camino: Way of St. James

Marian Shrines

Medjugorje Extension

Mexico & Our Lady Guadalupe

Shrines of French Canada

Spain & Jewish Heritage

Turkey & the Seven Churches of Revelation

1.2.3.4.5.

Your preferred suppliers do not have every counwith faith based travel listed. They have the genand most requested. Check with tourism offices

country you are passionate about – they will helpdesign your faith based itineraries.

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AmericaCanadaFranceGermanyGreece

6. India7. Ireland8. Israel9. Italy10. Jordan11.

12. Peru13. Poland14. Portugal15. Spain16. Turkey

Why not try India? It’s a countrywhere faith & spirituality permeatesthe mind and the heart of its people.The followers of Hinduism, Buddhism,Jainism, Sikhism, Islam & Christianityhave built temples, mosques andchurches which can be found inalmost every part of the country.There are plenty of pilgrimage sitestoo where every year large numbersof people and probably from yourarea of the world, visit to learn andbenefit from the philosophies andteachings of the religion that intereststhem.

tryericof ayou

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IDEA #1: Afro American Tours

If your heritage is Afro American and you live in America then you have a huge opportunity to create andpromote tours that fall under each of our headings: faith based, religious, spiritual, pilgrimage andpersonal journey. If you are Afro American or any other race with an interest in the Afro Americanexperience and live outside of America then you too can offer the following – just change the ideas tosuite your own selling situation.

Outbound, Inbound & AroundThere are three tour opportunities here and they open up yetanother source of income. Typically your tours would bedesigned to escort your clients overseas to view religiouslocations akin to the faith of the membership, or your tour isfor anyone and everyone to join and enjoy. The Afro Americantour related to the topic of this guide presents the following:

Outbound: The outbound tour would escort your AfroAmerican clients to the same religious sites in Europe and theUnited Kingdom, to Mecca and wherever their faith isheadquatered and where certain events happened. The tourto Africa presents a journey that will touch once again faith,religion, pilgrimage and most certainly a personal journey foryour clients who know their slave heritage and from wheretheir ancestors came from.

Inbound: there are many people around the world who areinterested in the Afro American experience and especiallyhow religion factored into the lives of the men and womenwho were at first slaves and then became free. There arepeople around the world who love gospel singing who wouldtravel to your area to tour the best choirs in the land. There isan interest in black religious leaders too. The inbound tourproduct then sells worldwide.

Around: Here you can create tours of America that are based on the Afro American experience as itconnects to all things religious. So many events and locations, museums, churches, places of worhshipand more. For Afro American travel agents living in America the audience for your tours live right withinyour own city and state. Or, you could hire yourself out as a tour guide and sell your services to theworldwide travel community.

MAKE NOTES ABOUT WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO CREATE AND PROMOTE

OUTBOUND INBOUND AROUND

The term black church or African-American church refers to Christianchurches that minister to predominantlyAfrican-American congregations in theUnited States. While some blackchurches belong to predominantlyAfrican-American denominations, suchas the African Methodist EpiscopalChurch (AME), many black churches aremembers of predominantly whitedenominations, such as the UnitedChurch of Christ which developed fromthe Congregational Church of NewEngland.

Most of the first black congregations andchurches formed before 1800 werefounded by free blacks - for example, inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania; Petersburg,Virginia; and Savannah, Georgia. Theoldest black Baptist church in Kentucky,and third oldest in the United States, wasfounded about 1790 by the slave PeterDurrett.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_church

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IDEA #2: Angels, Auras & Demons

Ah ha! Yes this tour title is a play on the Tom Hanks movie Angels and Demons. So who believes in angelsand which religion is more apt to do so than others? How about the non religious? Would they believe inangels?

Over to the right I have captured a few comments from a UK surveyabout the very topic of believing in Angels. A Nielsen survey showed63% of Australians believed in miracles and 51% in angels. In theUnited States, 79% of Americans believed in miracles, 68% in angelsand demons. One in six Brits say they have personally experiencedone.

Check if a belief in angels survey has been conducted in your own neckof the woods. Chances are quite a few people do believe. Enough tomake up an Angel Tour to your favourite religious destination.

You may have noticed that angels appear in posters, art, jewellry andlook below, by typing in guardian angel pins into Google, here’s theresult – more than you can imagine. People buy these pins.

The Angel in Art TourThis angel image is found in MSOffice Clipart and you could use it topromote a tour of various artgalleries and museums withcollections featuring angels.

Your tour could include a personalangel pin, or an angel t-shirt toattract your clients.

A survey in the UK foundthat: one in six people wereconvinced that they orsomeone they know hadpersonally experienced one.The research found thateven people with noreligious affiliation stillsubscribe to the idea thatunexplained forces affectpeople’s thoughts & actions.Only a quarter said theyactively believed in angels.A smaller proportion saidthey had faith in theexistence of “spirits”.

Almost a quarter of thosepolled had turned to tarotcard readings and one in 20had had their “aura” read.

But traditional approachesremain strong. While halfthe population do notbelieve that prayer can healpeople, almost two in fivedo. And just over half saidthey turned to prayer atleast occasionally.

… and here’s my auraimage taken with the

Kirlian camera.

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IDEA #10: Religious Antiques Tour

Here’s a tour that would combine visiting religious sites, churches, temples and as you tour from place toplace, region to region the sightseeing includes a visit to well known stores and markets where they oftenhave religious antiques for sale.

At Greenwich Market in the UK, my wife’s sister from Japan who is Christian found a wonderful, small,wooden 17th century crucifix. It was black and worn, probably ebony and it had character. She wasoverjoyed and the price was about $50. Your clients would experience the same joy in addition to touringthe sacred sites of wherever your tour is going.

Your tour could be looking for all or focus on any one of the following:

Bibles

Coins

Crucifixes

Icons

Illuminations

Manuscripts

Scripts

Seals

Stamps

Every country has it’s own antique markets, some will beover the top in terms of pricing, but small book shops invillages are sometimes the best places to visit and where afew very nice finds can be had.

As mentioned, your tour could be an all out religiousantiquity tour with sightseeing and services mixed in, or itcould be focused and seeking one specific item.

f you decide on the All-In then you will attract more clientswho will want both the sightseeing and religious servicescomponent while they search for the antiques that interestthem.

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About The Author

Steve CrowhurstTravel trade keynote speaker, trainer, author &publisher.

Steve entered the retail travel industry in 1965 and hasworked from the front line to the executive floor, ownedand operated his own travel agencies, travel tradetraining and consulting firms and has worked from a homeoffice for over 20 years.

In 2010 he published his 412 page book 273 “No Fluff - NoTheory” Marketing Ideas for Travel Agents; in June 2011he published the first digital issue of Selling Travelmagazine, this was followed by Travel Agency Managerand Travel Trade Supplier magazines in early 2013. InOctober 2013 Steve published the first issue of IC TravelAgent a digital magazine targeting the home-based travelagent, ICs and OSRs.

Steve is now turning all of his workshops and webinarsinto easy to read, street savvy eGuides. Check back oftenat www.thetravelagentsstore.com for new titles.

If you would like Steve to speak at your conference orconvention, deliver management level webinars or workwith your executive team please email him directly:steve@smptraining.com

A complete bio can be read here.

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