JON M. FLETCHER/The Times-Union Kathleen Savage of Monroe, La., prays during a ceremony for the Eque

JON M. FLETCHER/The Times-Union Kathleen Savage of Monroe, La., prays during a ceremony for the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. Organizations like the Order are among the city's most dependable and profitable visitors.
Photos Back   Photo: 1 of 2   Next JON M. FLETCHER/The Times-Union Religious groups, like the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, make up a significant part of the city's annual tourism and convention business. "They are pretty travel inn uk recession-proof," said Lyndsay travel inn uk Rossman of Visit Jacksonville. Back   Photo: 2 of 2   Next JON M. FLETCHER/The Times-Union Duke Stern carries a sword to be used last weekend in a investiture ceremony for new members of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem held at St. Matthew Catholic Church. Some 400 members nationwide travel inn uk attended.
Religious groups like Bergeron's, which aims to ensure a Christian travel inn uk presence in the Holy Land, make up a significant part of the city's annual tourism and convention business, holding their own against top Southern competitors like Atlanta, Orlando and Charlotte, N.C.
It's a multimillion-dollar economic boost generated by a demographic more interested in the proximity of worship spaces and meditative river views than where to find watermelon martinis and sizzling dance floors, said Lyndsay Rossman, of Visit Jacksonville, an agency that markets the city as a destination for leisure and business travelers.
What event planners and hotels that host conventions have come to value about religious groups is their commitment to meet no matter how bad the economy gets. That's often because regional or national denominations view their gatherings as vital to fulfilling their divinely-ordained missions.
Of all the city's convention business, religious organizations travel inn uk are among the most dependable and profitable, said Casper Van Eldik Thieme, director of sales and marketing at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront.
First Baptist Church heavily promotes downtown restaurants and hotels on its website to those who attend its annual Pastors' Conference, said Trey Brunson, the event organizer and son of Pastor Mac Brunson.
Even religious groups that hold their events in other parts of the city encourage out-of-towners to spend some of their time and money downtown and not just at the Beaches, St. Johns Town Center, area golf courses or St. Augustine.