As faith-based travel rises, new Web site aims to make it easier

Published: 2006-03-03

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- With spending on faith-based travel estimated to exceed $1 billion annually, a new online service called Groople (for "groups of people") is making it easier to organize pilgrimages, retreats and parish gatherings for groups as small as five people. The Web site, www.groople.com, also caters to those organizing other group travel, including trips for weddings or showers, bachelor or bachelorette parties, sports tournaments and family, military or class reunions. Mike Stacy, CEO of the Colorado-based Groople, said group travel had been left out of the recent boom in online travel services because sites such as Travelocity.com and expedia.com weren't set up to permit bookings for more than four people at a time. But that doesn't mean Americans are staying home. More people than ever are traveling in groups, especially for religious-related travel, Stacy said. According to American Church Lists, 70,000 churches in the United States had groups participating in faith-based travel last year, a 40 percent jump since 2002, he said.

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