As faith travel grows, MERS hitches a ride to Mecca
The sacred month of Ramadan, which started last week, celebrates Muhammad’s receiving the revelations of the Quran. It’s a period of daily fasting and evening feasting, and high season for tourism in the Middle East, leading to the annual Hajj, the great pilgrimage to Mecca.
But this year the month is bringing a new and less welcome visitor: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).
The deadly disease, caused by the coronavirus, has hit mostly in Saudi Arabia.
Of 82 infected with the disease, 66 have been in Saudi Arabia, and 45 have died, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.
Cases have also been reported in Jordan, Qatar, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates. Some cases also have been reported In Europe among travelers returning from the Middle East.
While all Muslims must make the Hajj at least once in their lifetimes, the Saudi government is asking those with compromised immune systems, pregnant women, children, the elderly, and "those suffering chronic illnesses, like heart, kidney, respiratory diseases, and diabetes" to skip it this year.
They also ask that everyone wear face masks in public places to help slow the spread of the disease, be diligent about washing hands, throw used tissues in the trash, and keep hands away from eyes, noses and mouths.
The CDC advises frequent hand-washing with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizers, and says anyone with respiratory symptoms should seek medical help quickly.
A June study of the new virus in the New England Journal of Medicine found the MERS virus to be deadlier than SARS, which killed 800 people in 2003.
Where SARS had an 8% fatality rate, the fatality rate for MERS at a Saudi health-care facility was about 65%.
The National Institutes of Health website notes that the 1865 Hajj began a worldwide cholera pandemic and led to a huge quarantine of the entire region.
The World Health Organization last month created an emergency committee to address issues that may occur if the disease spreads rapidly.
Meanwhile, a story in yesterday’s Washington Post highlighted the growth of religious travel in general, and the Hajj in particular.
Many Middle Eastern countries now have Ministers of Hajj who negotiate with Saudi Arabia for some of the precious three million visas given out every year, the Post reported.
It cites a 2011 United Nations World Tourism Organization report that more than 600 million religious voyages are taken every year.
More than half are in Asia and the Pacific regions, the cradle of world faiths, and nearly 40% are in Europe.
In addition to Mecca, Jerusalem, and Lourdes, modern faith travel also includes yoga retreats and heritage trips to family homelands.
By Cheryl Rosen
Cheryl
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
France prepares for a massive strike across all transports on September 18
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt