BETHLEHEM, West Bank -- Graduating in July as part of Bethlehem University’s first software engineering class, students Marianna Bannoura, Oriana Sabat and Mariam Qumsieh already have a market-ready app under their belts.

After 61 years Gideon Travel has reached the end of the road. 

There were few like Joseph Gideon in the world of Catholic travel where for six decades he made dreams come true for those seeking a pilgrimage experience.

MONTREAL – St. Joseph Oratory is about to get a $110 million (US$82 million) makeover under a plan to make the popular site more attractive to tourists.

At Bethlehem University education is not about personal fulfillment. It’s the only way to transform a society that has been locked in conflict with Israel for 70 years, where unemployment runs at nearly one-third of the working age population (32.4 per cent in the second quarter of 2018, according to the World Bank) and a quarter of the population lives on less than $5.50 per day.

VATICAN CITY – While tourism can broaden travellers' horizons and improve local economies, it cannot be seen as being part of "sustainable development" unless it includes respect for workers' rights, the local culture and the environment, said Cardinal Peter Turkson.

ASSISI, Italy – Down a deserted stone alleyway, a joyful chorus of “Hallelujah” can be heard rising from an open window while dozens of tourists armed with selfie sticks gather nearby and begin to scour one of Italy’s most beloved towns in search of the perfect digital souvenir.

VATICAN CITY – Religious priests, brothers and sisters in Brazil are urging everyone attending the Olympic Games to report instances of exploitation of vulnerable people and to turn in suspected traffickers.

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy - Pope Francis is shunning the expansive papal summer palace in Castel Gandolfo for the third time since 2013, a choice that is causing frustration among locals who rely on the tourists a papal visit brings.