By Felix Anthony
New Delhi, Sept 28, 2022: A church-based tour operator was among this year’s winners of national tourism awards.
The International Pilgrimage Revolution (IPR), directed by Father Tomy Joseph, received the award for the best inbound tour operator category from Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on September 27, the World Tourism Day.
IPR, which offers pilgrimage-based tourism across the world, was selected for the best operator under the category of between 100 million and 250 million tourist arrivals.
The award function was held at the Plenary Hall, Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, where federal Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy and Minister of State for Tourism Ajay Bhatt were present along with secretary Tourism Arvind Singh.
A total of 81 awards were given away this year highlighting the achievements of the tourism industry in 2018-2019.
Presenting the tourism awards the vice president said, “This award is not just for your outstanding achievements in the tourism sector but for your contribution to the economy of the country.”
He also released India Tourism Statistics 2022, New Incredible India Global Promotional Films, and “GoBeyond:75 Experiences of North India” e-book on the occasion.
Acknowledging the award on behalf of his organization, Father Joseph of Miao diocese in northeastern India, said, “This award is a big boost for the hardworking staff at IPR. Receiving this award after a two-year lull period due to the pandemic is a good sign of things to come.”
While explaining the reason why he is into tourism, the 55-year-old priest said, “There are many ministries within the Church like education, healthcare and social work. Not many within the Church look at tourism as a ministry even though the Sacred Congregation for the Clergy promulgated the document ‘General Directory for the Pastoral Ministry to Tourism 1969’.”
Outlining the values of tourism according to the document, Father Joseph said the purpose of tourism ministry is to turn the tourist time into a time of eternal salvation, “appreciating the beauty of God in creation, the unity of the human family, its social transformation and elevation, fostering solidarity with the rest of the universe, and restoration of human person.”
Tourism ministry helps overcome segregation between people by encouraging them to get rid of social prejudices and it diminishes racial divisions and promotes unity of the people of God, said Father Joseph, who plunged into the travel ministry in 2007.
“Bringing a group of Germans to India was the turning point. They felt safe and secure to be accompanied by a Catholic priest that made me reflect on the possibility of helping people move hassle free, based on the teachings of the Church,” said award-winning priest who founded IPR in 2015 with the help of a few priests and laity and supported by his bishop.
Congratulating the IPR, Bishop George Pallipparambil of Miao who became its chief patron in 2018, said “It was not easy to pull through the Covid days. But they managed with diligence and dedication. I wish the IPR team great success and flights into greater heights in the days to come.”
With its corporate office in New Delhi and branches in Germany’s Munich and the Indian cities of Mumbai, Kochi, Guwahati and Manali, IPR has facilitated 92 groups from different countries to India and nearly 3,000 Indian tourists to move within India and overseas before the pandemic halted tourism industry.
The company has taken 150 pilgrim groups to the Holy Land. It has also brought 13 Germans to northeastern India for a week-long trip to Assam’s Kaziranga National Park, Majuli Island, Sibsagar Rang Ghar, and Namsai Golden Pagoda, Miao Tibetan Settlement, Jairampur World War Cemetery and Namdapha National Park in Arunachal Pradesh in 2019.
Expanding its scope of operation beyond travelling, IPR has now ventured into event management, destination wedding, meeting, conventions, consultancy and legal assistance to NGOs and institutions across the country.
“This award is an acknowledgement of our team’s hard work and a validation that we are on the right track,” said Sunu Jomon, IPR’s deputy manager, air-ticketing, and K M James, manager for Inbound Operation, who were present to receive the award on behalf of the company.
With Covid becoming a thing of the past and life returning to normalcy, the award for a Church based tour operator augurs well for pilgrimage tourism that gives a new dimension to the ministry of the Church, Father Joseph told Matters India.