How a Congolese Travel Agent Turned a Small Greek City Into a Pilgrimage Destination

Visitors from the Democratic Republic of Congo photographing themselves at the statue of Leonidas or touring the battlefield of Thermopylae have become an increasingly familiar sight in this central Greek city, the product of an

The initiative traces the footsteps of the Apostle Paul across Greece and has, over the past several years, built a steady travel corridor between Greece and the Democratic Republic of Congo, with Lamia serving as its central hub.

At the center of the effort is Petros Tsimboumbou, a philologist and travel agent who studied in Athens on a scholarship from Greece's Foreign Ministry. A graduate of the University of Athens' School of Philosophy, Mr. Tsimboumbou returned to Kinshasa determined to keep his connection to Greece alive.

"I came to Greece to study in 2005. I graduated from the School of Philosophy at the University of Athens, and when I returned to Kinshasa I worked for several years as a secretary at the Greek embassy while teaching Ancient Greek and philosophy at the Greek community's school," Mr. Tsimboumbou told iefimerida.gr.

"That's when I realized there was enormous interest in Greece, and I decided to build something more organized."

He went on to establish his country's only travel agency dedicated exclusively to promoting Greek tourism, as well as its only center for Greek-language studies, where students prepare for official Greek language certification exams. Many of those students later join the organized trips to Greece.

The first group traveled to Greece in October 2023.

"The success exceeded what we expected," Mr. Tsimboumbou said, noting that word-of-mouth from returning travelers has steadily driven up demand. Groups of 15 to 25 travelers now depart roughly every two to two-and-a-half months for week-long trips, though demand regularly exceeds capacity, requiring organizers to select participants based on specific criteria. He said visa processing remains the primary bottleneck limiting the program's growth.

The itinerary follows Paul's path through Greece, including Kavala, Philippi, Thessaloniki, Veria, ancient Corinth and Athens, with Lamia serving as its base for the majority of overnight stays. Mr. Tsimboumbou, who has been baptized Greek Orthodox, said the trips are increasingly documented by African television crews producing accompanying travel films, further raising Lamia's profile across the continent.

By Vassilis Goulas

Διαβάστε περισσότερα στο iefimerida.gr

Visitors from the Democratic Republic of Congo photographing themselves at the statue of Leonidas or touring the battlefield of Thermopylae have become an increasingly familiar sight in this central Greek city, the product of an organized religious tourism program rather than a coincidence.

The initiative traces the footsteps of the Apostle Paul across Greece and has, over the past several years, built a steady travel corridor between Greece and the Democratic Republic of Congo, with Lamia serving as its central hub.

At the center of the effort is Petros Tsimboumbou, a philologist and travel agent who studied in Athens on a scholarship from Greece's Foreign Ministry. A graduate of the University of Athens' School of Philosophy, Mr. Tsimboumbou returned to Kinshasa determined to keep his connection to Greece alive.

"I came to Greece to study in 2005. I graduated from the School of Philosophy at the University of Athens, and when I returned to Kinshasa I worked for several years as a secretary at the Greek embassy while teaching Ancient Greek and philosophy at the Greek community's school," Mr. Tsimboumbou told iefimerida.gr.

"That's when I realized there was enormous interest in Greece, and I decided to build something more organized."

He went on to establish his country's only travel agency dedicated exclusively to promoting Greek tourism, as well as its only center for Greek-language studies, where students prepare for official Greek language certification exams. Many of those students later join the organized trips to Greece.

The first group traveled to Greece in October 2023.

"The success exceeded what we expected," Mr. Tsimboumbou said, noting that word-of-mouth from returning travelers has steadily driven up demand. Groups of 15 to 25 travelers now depart roughly every two to two-and-a-half months for week-long trips, though demand regularly exceeds capacity, requiring organizers to select participants based on specific criteria. He said visa processing remains the primary bottleneck limiting the program's growth.

The itinerary follows Paul's path through Greece, including Kavala, Philippi, Thessaloniki, Veria, ancient Corinth and Athens, with Lamia serving as its base for the majority of overnight stays. Mr. Tsimboumbou, who has been baptized Greek Orthodox, said the trips are increasingly documented by African television crews producing accompanying travel films, further raising Lamia's profile across the continent.

By Vassilis Goulas

Διαβάστε περισσότερα στο iefimerida.gr