Rome Gears Up for the 2025 Jubilee: Faith, Tourism, and High Hopes

Rome, Italy, October 30, 2024: hundreds of tourists walk in Via Della Conciliazione after Pope Francesco’s mess, in Rome Italy.

In Photos

By Lavinia Leoncini | Photoreporter

With the Jubilee year beginning this Christmas, Rome is expecting to open its doors to about 32 million pilgrims, according to the Associated Press.

Businesses around Vatican City are preparing for an anticipating influx of tourists from around the world, stocking up merchandise like rosaries, crucifixes, sacred medals, and Vatican-themed items.

However, some of the shops’ owners are still not completely confident if they will be able to sell it all.

“I wish we were sure of the real of amount of people that would come here, but in reality, it is all just a bet, and we have to hope that we sell our merch,” said Francesca M. the owner of one the stores near the Vatican. 

The Jubilee, also called Holy year, occurs every 25 years, and it offers spiritual significance to Catholics and attracts vast numbers of people seeking for blessings, or just for a unique experience of participating in a historic religious celebration. 

For street vendors that sell religious items, souvenirs, and snacks, the situation is a little bit different.

“We don’t even know if our kiosks will remain here, or we will be moved,” says a coordinator of street vendors. “We are not stoking up more items or getting ready in any way.”

Rome’s licensed tour guides, many of whom specialize in the city’s religious and historical landmarks, are adapting their services to meet the unique needs of Jubilee pilgrims. As visitors will be interested not only in Rome’s cultural sites but also in the spiritual significance of their journey, guides are creating custom itineraries focused on sacred sites and Jubilee-related events.  

“There are certain days that we call ‘red days’ that we expect 100 thousand pilgrims to arrive here in Rome, other days about 50 thousand of people will arrive,” said Gianni F. “A lot of out tours are already booked, so it will be for sure a very busy year for us.”

With meticulous preparations and new initiatives, the city hopes to make this Jubilee a memorable experience for pilgrims and tourists and to foster a sense of global unity in line with the event’s spiritual focus. 