Following the news that Robert Prevost has become the first-ever American pope and will now be known as Pope Leo XIV, new research by experts at QR Code Generator has revealed that online searches for ‘Flights to Italy’ have increased by over 80% worldwide.
Pope Leo XIV was born in Chicago in 1955 before being ordained in 1982. Since the 8th of May, online searches for ‘Flights to Chicago’ have also experienced a noticeable increase of 92% worldwide.
In particular, the UK is searching for ‘Flights to Italy’ more than ever, experiencing a staggering increase of 268% over the past seven days. Thanks to the result of the recent conclave, these search trends suggest an upcoming tourism boost in not just Italy, but also Chicago.
Interestingly, fans spotted the pop sensation Harry Styles among the Brits who flew over for the conclave election. The Watermelon Sugar singer, who grew up in Cheshire, was spotted waiting for Pope Leo XIV to address the crowds outside Saint Peter’s Basilica on Thursday.
The viral sighting led to a spike in searches for ‘Is Harry Styles Catholic?’ over the past few days. Worldwide searches for ‘Harry Styles album’ have also soared by over 440% as fans patiently await any updates regarding a potential new album announcement from the singer.
Marc Porcar, the CEO of QR Code Generator, has commented on the research:
“The recent conclave has attracted endless media speculation, but it’s surprising to see the increased level of interest from younger generations.
“For example, PopeCrave, a fan account on X, provided regular updates during the pope selection process, receiving thousands of likes per post. The social media account now has over 98,400 followers and unexpectedly became a key news source for younger generations during the conclave.
“It has been fascinating to observe how the internet has transformed the attention placed on the conclave, a 700-year-old tradition. The sighting of Harry Styles at the Vatican by fans has simply added to the viral internet discourse on social media platforms like X and TikTok.
“It’s also likely that the success of the 2024 film Conclave, which starred Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci, contributed to the heightened focus placed on the recent pope selection by younger generations.
“It’s interesting to see the rising search increases related to trips both to Italy and Chicago following the news of Leo XIV’s unveiling, indicating that tourism in both of these locations will continue to boom over the next few weeks.”
This information was provided by the research team at QR Code Generator.
