VATICAN (CWNews.com) -- Officials in Rome expect about 4.5 million pilgrims to visit the Eternal City between February and April 2000.

    The Roman agency heading up preparations for the Jubilee made that estimate in a briefing for reporters on January 29. The 4.5 million figure would constitute a 22 percent increase from the number of visitors to Rome in 1999. The agency expects that 3 million of this year's visitors will come from elsewhere in Italy, and 1.5 million from other countries.

    The beginning of the Jubilee, and especially the ceremonial opening of the Holy Door, has caused many people to think about a visit to Rome, the agency believes. The planners are expecting a "high, but not critical" level of pilgrim traffic during Holy Week and Easter. About 70 percent of the foreigners arrive in Rome by airplane, with 68 percent of the Italians coming by car, bus, or train.

    Most of the people coming to Rome from abroad are from other European countries, and the most common age group for pilgrims is 45-54 years. To date there have been relatively few pilgrims under the age of 24, but that statistic is expected to change dramatically in August, when hundreds of thousands of young people will arrive for World Youth Day. The site most frequently visited by the pilgrims is, of course, St. Peter's Basilica. But other Roman tourist attractions, such as the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain, are seeing a heavy volume of visitors as well.