- Time of past OR future Camino
- Too many and too often!
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Many other routes have been created or "rediscovered" in recent years and are gaining in popularity. I don't think they are drawing numbers away from the Caminos though. The total numbers walking everywhere seem to be rising.Not good news...
I hope that other ways ("Chemin d'Assise", "Via Francigena"...) will see their popularity increasing in order to avoir Galician people anger...
74,324. That is the first year for which the pilgrim office website has detailed statistics.Can anyone ell me please how many pilgrims there were in 2003?
Thank you.
P
Why? Would changing the name make any real difference to the number of people walking? I think most people are aware of the marked change in the character of the Camino often found after Sarria. Would calling it something else alter that experience?I would like the section of the Frances from Sarria renamed to something else.
I suspect that you didn't actually read my post. Almost no new pilgrims who contemplate walking the Frances have any idea that the statistics published in Santiago de Compostela give a totally untrue picture about the number of pilgrims walking from St. Jean.Why? Would changing the name make any real difference to the number of people walking? I think most people are aware of the marked change in the character of the Camino often found after Sarria. Would calling it something else alter that experience?
Thank you - it there a link?74,324. That is the first year for which the pilgrim office website has detailed statistics.
The article is about total arrival figures from all caminos. Last year those who walked the Camino Frances from points further east than Sarria were only about 15% of the overall total. The Caminos in 2023 are a much larger phenomenon than the long-distance Camino Frances from SJPDP/Roncesvalles/Pamplona which was walked by fewer than 1 in 5 of those who received a Compostela. The Camino Frances is not even named in the article which I posted. I think we should recognise that a long-distance walk along the Camino Frances is now very much a minority choice - not the default - and we do not need to compare everything Camino-related to that one particular route.Thank you for taking the time to publicise the statistics from Santiago de Compostela but in the long term, your failure to also tell people that the numbers finishing is not reflected anywhere beyond Sarria is a disservice to new pilgrims.
Thank you - it there a link?
P
Follow the link in post #13 above. You can find the numbers for the main routes taken and the main starting towns.Are there stats for which route people took?
The Caminito FrancesI would like the section of the Frances from Sarria renamed to something else.
When I was figuring out when to walk my first Frances I looked at the high numbers in July and August and decided to do either a Spring or Autumn Camino.
What I found and everyone on here should now know is that pretty much everyone else goes through the same process and as a result May and September are super busy from the St. Jean end and the rest of the year albergue owners complain about the lack of customers (except from Sarria onwards).
I am walking at the moment (in Astorga) and it is DEFINITELY NOT BUSY.
Almost all albergue owners who I have talked to are worried about a lack of pilgrims.
I would like the section of the Frances from Sarria renamed to something else.
When I was figuring out when to walk my first Frances I looked at the high numbers in July and August and decided to do either a Spring or Autumn Camino.
What I found and everyone on here should now know is that pretty much everyone else goes through the same process and as a result May and September are super busy from the St. Jean end and the rest of the year albergue owners complain about the lack of customers (except from Sarria onwards).
I am walking at the moment (in Astorga) and it is DEFINITELY NOT BUSY.
Almost all albergue owners who I have talked to are worried about a lack of
I suspect that you didn't actually read my post. Almost no new pilgrims who contemplate walking the Frances have any idea that the statistics published in Santiago de Compostela give a totally untrue picture about the number of pilgrims walking from St. Jean.
Even the pilgrims walking for the first time struggled to differentiate between the busyness around them and how busy it is 200klms before or after that point.
I would agree that experienced pilgrims on this forum now have some idea about how to differentiate busyness in one place from not busy in another place.
That is probably true. But it also seems that a lot of people "hear" a very misleading statement - i.e. that the Camino is most crowded in July and August. They don't understand that a number of factors result in distinct and fairly predictable waves that are very different from the simplistic summary.I suspect, most people who do their first camino actually do not base their decision on some office statistic, but on other factors such
Let us say that the statement that the Camino in July and August is very crowded is misleading? So, if you can prove this, than publicize that. I would agree that there may likely be lots of availability to stay in an albergue dorm with limited airflow and likely no aircon.That is probably true. But it also seems that a lot of people "hear" a very misleading statement - i.e. that the Camino is most crowded in July and August. They don't understand that a number of factors result in distinct and fairly predictable waves that are very different from the simplistic summary.
I don't mean that anyone is deliberately misleading. The Pilgrim Office statistics indicate that August is the busiest month, but that the most popular starting point is Sarria. That is true, but it doesn't give the information that would be more helpful to people who are planning to start in SJPP or Pamplona.Let us say that the statement that the Camino in July and August is very crowded is misleading? So, if you can prove this, than publicize that.
I agree there are other reasons that people would choose not to walk in summer. I'm just saying that the supposed crowds of August are not a valid reason if you are starting in SJPP or thereabouts. Too many people innocently plan for the beginning of September in SJPP, and they are shocked to find the difficulties.for the most part, they are staying away in summer not mainly because of a misleading statement or stats.
In 2022, pilgrims from 100kms out or less (from all routes) were about 44% of the total.Last year those who walked the Camino Frances from points further east than Sarria were only about 15% of the overall total.
Caminito Frances
This is something that needs to be repeatedly hammered home. May and September are peak months for those who start from SJPP.Too many people innocently plan for the beginning of September in SJPP, and they are shocked to find the difficulties
Pilgrim Arrivals 2022 | Estimated Departures |
%of Peak Demand | ||||||||
From SJPP | From Sarria | From SJPP | From Sarria | Total ex Sarria | From SJPP | From Sarria | Total ex Sarria | |
April | 1094 | 12278 | 4304 | 9209 | 10029 | 80% | 36% | 35% |
May | 4304 | 12982 | 5399 | 13968 | 18673 | 100% | 55% | 66% |
June | 5908 | 16924 | 3245 | 17797 | 23068 | 60% | 70% | 81% |
July | 3361 | 20415 | 2889 | 22087 | 25303 | 54% | 87% | 89% |
August | 2780 | 27103 | 3798 | 25466 | 28383 | 70% | 100% | 100% |
September | 3327 | 20555 | 4867 | 19041 | 22956 | 90% | 75% | 81% |
October | 5682 | 14497 | 1285 | 11456 | 16119 | 24% | 45% | 57% |
Strange that most guide books seem to say exactly this too. Those of us who have walked a few times have noticed the increase, especially before and after Covid but I firmly believe that is due to pent up demand.This is something that needs to be repeatedly hammered home. May and September are peak months for those who start from SJPP.
In 2022, pilgrims from 100kms out or less (from all routes) were about 44% of the total.
So about 56% were distance walkers, including some impressive starting points like Jerusalem and Russia.
So far this year that balance is roughly 42% short distance, 58% long distance.
Compared to the percentage on the Francés alone, what that says to me is that, yes, lots of people are starting in Sarria. But overall, what's interesting is when you have a deeper look, those who choose Sarria over other shorter routes, the percentages are (for this year) 58% Sarria versus 42% other 100km or less starting points. Lots of people start other places. But it's no real surprise that we notice the Sarria effect because the majority of short pilgrimages (a bit less than ⅗) start there. The other ⅖ are spread out all around Galicia.
Not that individual people are using these numbers when deciding where to start walking. But word of mouth might be affecting where groups start. @LTfit just came into Santiago off the Invierno and encountered a huge group of students (80? something like that). A trend may be slowly starting of groups finding other routes besides Sarria, to avoid the crush.
You have to admit it has a ring to it.
This is something that needs to be repeatedly hammered home. May and September are peak months for those who start from SJPP.
It's not the Forum's job to spoon-feed people, but to give them a means to answer their own questions. We pilgrims are responsible for gathering their own information.Perhaps the Forum could put up a suggestion to make reservations ahead during these times?
No-one is looking to create institutional anxiety based upon post covid experiences.It's not the Forum's job to spoon-feed people, but to give them a means to answer their own questions. We pilgrims are responsible for gathering their own information.
And let's not institutionalize the anxiety-based post-covid idea that bookings are essential. Because that's not the case. I have walked in May twice (and twice in Semana Santa), without making bookings. It's not that hard.
The problem disappears when people realize that even at the most crowded times there are options - it just requires flexibility, a willingness to deal with a little insecurity, and thinking outside the box. Sleeping under a church porch never killed anyone, and there are always taxis for those willing to use them.
The Forum is a place where individuals offer their advice, experiences and opinions about the Camino. There are very few situations where "the Forum" issues a position statement, except about allowable posts.Perhaps the Forum could put up a suggestion to make reservations ahead during these times?
74,614 apparently!Can anyone ell me please how many pilgrims there were in 2003?
Thank you.
P
I can find records going back to 1985. No sure if they are official but I assume they were obtained from somewhere? 690 foot weary souls btw in 198574,324. That is the first year for which the pilgrim office website has detailed statistics.
Detailed by route taken, nationality, arrival month, etc? Or just the annual total? If you know an online source of detailed statistics before 2003 I'd love to take a look.I can find records going back to 1985.
No detailed analysis, just the broad figures for the yearDetailed by route taken, nationality, arrival month, etc? Or just the annual total? If you know an online source of detailed statistics before 2003 I'd love to take a look.
Included in that 58% would be pilgrims that may have started from SJPdP or farther back on any route, but walked in sections over a number of years. So I guess that they would be short distance long distance walkers.So about 56% were distance walkers, including some impressive starting points like Jerusalem and Russia.
So far this year that balance is roughly 42% short distance, 58% long distance.
Yes, but invisible in the data since they are given a Compostella or DC as starting wherever they first began. 'False positives,' if you like.Included in that 58% would be pilgrims that may have started from SJPdP or farther back on any route, but walked in sections over a number of years. So I guess that they would be short distance long distance walkers.
Numbers described within Peter.Can anyone ell me please how many pilgrims there were in 2003?
Thank you.
P
There was a marked increase in numbers in the first few months of the year - including from SJPDP. But that initial rush seems to have tailed off. I just looked at the pilgrim office running total and they are now about 11% up on last year. Well down from the 30% increase seen earlier in the year. Still on track to be another record year but perhaps not the astonishing numbers that seemed likely a couple of months ago.July pilgrim numbers for the Francès in particular seem to be down --
I'm sure numbers will blast right up again in September and October, though it's possible that a temporary post-lockdown boom might be ending.There was a marked increase in numbers in the first few months of the year - including from SJPDP. But that initial rush seems to have tailed off. I just looked at the pilgrim office running total and they are now about 11% up on last year. Well down from the 30% increase seen earlier in the year. Still on track to be another record year but perhaps not the astonishing numbers that seemed likely a couple of months ago.
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