Tourism in the Philippines may see gains by taking advantage of new travel trend.

According to a recent survey in Italy by international travel insurance group Allianz Global Assistance, more and more people are interested in travelling for religious experience — and it’s all thanks to the pope.

The popularity of Pope Francis has led more Italians to choose religious destinations like Rome (37%), Medjugorie (21%), Lourdes (19%) and the Holy Land (11%). Among those surveyed, 35% said they planned longer trips and 72% of these also said they wanted to visit exotic, long-distance destinations.

If this positive news is reflecting a new, worldwide trend in travel, then the Philippines could stand to gain much from religious tourism. The Philippines calls itself the largest Christian nation in Asia.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) announced that Philippine tourism has been boosted thanks to the upgrade in the country’s aviation status this week. The Tourism department said it will intensify its promotion of the Philippines. But in light of the survey in Italy, the department could also aggressively market the country’s religious festivities to take advantage of the opportunity.

Filipinos celebrate religious festivities almost all year long. Some of these include the highly acclaimed Ati-atihan, Sinulog and Dinagyang festivals in January. The month of April is also busy with Holy Week celebrations all around the country.