Raji Khoury of Jerusalem-based Shepherds Tours, said, "In 2000, business was zero, [there was] no business at all. From 2001 to 2003, it started picking up until 2004.
"It was so good until the Lebanese war. It went down lightly as if we started in 2000 again. Now it's picked up, now it's really good in 2007. 2008 is going to be much better. Hopefully nothing will happen in the area. It all depends on what's happening around, if there is fighting or whatever."
Bishop Michael also saw firsthand that the pilgrimage is in no way a dead institution, "I preached in St George's Cathedral [Jerusalem] on the Sunday we were there and there was a decent Arabic speaking congregation.
"But the majority of people in the cathedral on Sunday morning - which was packed - were pilgrims. There were at least four different pilgrimage groups that were in Jerusalem from Britain on that Sunday."
Despite this, Reed's evidence suggests that at least within the Church of England the number of pilgrimages being organised has declined significantly.
In order to promote pilgrimages more, the Archbishop of Canterbury recently announced the introduction of "study tours" to the Holy Land.
The tours, whilst not being actual pilgrimages, are meant to lay the groundwork for future pilgrimages by gathering information and experience on how pilgrimages can be run by churches in a divided and conflict prone area like the Holy Land.
Bishop Michael spoke highly of the personal benefits of the pilgrimage, "I think if you spoke to the pilgrims you would find that for many of them it was indeed a life changing experience and a faith changing experience."
Pilgrimages do "wonderful things for your faith to actually be in the places where Jesus was", he added.
The USPG pilgrimage of nearly 40 people started at the Sea of Galilee, and went on to Nazareth and then Bethlehem before finishing up in Jerusalem.
