All the pilgrims numbers for the the first three months of 2014

[JohnnieWalker]

• Fewer pilgrims?
• Fewer female pilgrims?
• More Koreans than Americans?

www.johnniewalker-santiago.blogspot.com

Hola

I’ve posted the analysis of the 5026 pilgrims who arrived at the Pilgrims’ Office in the first three months of 2014. They make for interesting reading and a number of questions arise:

In the period 4391 fewer pilgrims arrived than in the same period last year- is the Camino fading in popularity?

Overall there has been a reduction in numbers in this period for the reasons given with the exception of Korea – why?

Last year 55% of pilgrims were men and 45% women. In the first three months of the year 63% of the pilgrims who arrived were men. Where are the female pilgrims?

Happy reading and discussing!

John

 

[fraluchi]

[...] In the period 4391 fewer pilgrims arrived than in the same period last year- is the Camino fading in popularity?[...]

We must not compare apples with pears
Here follows my limited analysis for the 1st Quarter (Jan-Mar) of 2014

From January to March 5’026 pilgrims arrived in Santiago. 2’440 (48.5%) were Spanish and 2’586 (51.5%) foreigners. The proportion of foreigners compared to Spaniards has been steadily increasing.

Arrivals in 2014, compared to first quarter averages of previous years (2012 and 2011, excluding 2013 because of Easter falling during the month of March), have shown an increase of 1.3%.
It’s combination of an increase in foreigners of 9.5% and Spanish pilgrims decreasing by 6 %.
Popularity seems to shift abroad

On the Camino Francés (67% of all arrivals), less pilgrims had started before Sarria than in 2012 (- 8%) and only 1.3% more than during the same period in 2011. Could this have been caused by weather conditions?

Age groups show -3 percentage points for the less than 30 years old, +2 percentage points for the 30 to 60 group, and +1 percentage point for the more than 60 years old, when compared to previous years.

Please note: we’re talking of relatively small numbers. First quarter arrivals over the past years have only represented between 2% and 4% of any year’s total. We cannot talk about a trend as yet.

With Easter falling in April this year, the end of April year–to-date results could give a better view on a possible pilgrim situation. And include a comparison to 2013 results.

 

[Kitsambler]

Most of the US has been slogging through a really horrific winter season; I suspect that's a contributing factor to the "missing Americans".

 

[Silverton]

And European weather--certainly in Galicia, Portugal, the UK and Ireland--has been dire for most of January to March. Only intrepid souls like Reb and her fellow-retreatants, and of course the marvelous Koreans (who perhaps use a different calendar??) walked in the first quarter of 2014. Maybe we'll make up for those numbers toward the late April Easter. Solely in the interests of Johnnie's statistics, I'll be checking in to Tui for a short Camino Portugués tomorrow.

 

[JohnnieWalker]

And European weather--certainly in Galicia, Portugal, the UK and Ireland--has been dire for most of January to March. Only intrepid souls like Reb and her fellow-retreatants, and of course the marvelous Koreans (who perhaps use a different calendar??) walked in the first quarter of 2014. Maybe we'll make up for those numbers toward the late April Easter. Solely in the interests of Johnnie's statistics, I'll be checking in to Tui for a short Camino Portugués tomorrow.

Buen Camino - see you in 5 days!

 

[Silverton]

Buen Camino - see you in 5 days!

Ahem, more like 6 perhaps for three ancianos! And I didn't even mention, the other two are from the US, so even better statistics!

 

[KentuckyJay]

And European weather--certainly in Galicia, Portugal, the UK and Ireland--has been dire for most of January to March. Only intrepid souls like Reb and her fellow-retreatants, and of course the marvelous Koreans (who perhaps use a different calendar??) walked in the first quarter of 2014. Maybe we'll make up for those numbers toward the late April Easter. Solely in the interests of Johnnie's statistics, I'll be checking in to Tui for a short Camino Portugués tomorrow.

And one more "Yankee" from Kentucky on April 28.

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

Ahem, more like 6 perhaps for three ancianos! And I didn't even mention, the other two are from the US, so even better statistics!

That may double the number of US pilgrims for the first six days of April
Just six more weeks to my arrival in SdC, thence to A Coruna by bus ....

 

[Jannie Farrgirl]

Two more Canadians arriving (from Calgary)
April 27th, 2014! Woo Hoo, just opened the mail and received our credentials from the Canadian Company of Pilgrims so we are good to go! Ya Hoo! (as they say in Calgary)

 

[t2andreo]

John:

Overall, has this past winter been more or less sever than last winter. You will recall that last year's "winter" extended well into May in some areas, especially at elevation along the Frances. I experienced about 15 cm wet snow at Cruz de Ferro on 16 May. However, others told me that the day before and the day after were fair and dry. It figures...

I have been watching the weather from St. Jean, all along this Camino route, as I start from St. Jean again on 27 April. To me, just looking at weather reports online, it appears that the weather is milder than at the same time last year.

But, what say you? As you are our "boots on the ground" what is your perception?

Thanks

 

[JohnnieWalker]

As my friend Fraluchi demonstrates the cause of any feeling that there is a dip in numbers is because of when Holy Week falls this year - it is very late.

It has been a difficult winter for walkers but so was last year - in Santiago is rained continuously for 37 days - or some horrible figure like that. Pilgrims found the start of this year difficult. For example when I was walking from Seville to Salamanca I was with a group of 8 others - only 4 reached Santiago. The rest gave up to return another drier day.

The real trends for the year will start to emerge after Easter and we will see tat in the April figures I'm sure.

John

 

[Deleted member 3000]

It's official; blame the weather!

http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/notici...ago-pierde-fuelle/00031397036311854265951.htm

As rendered by Google Translate (and, perhaps, Borat):

SANTIAGO
The Camino de Santiago loses steam not
Pilgrims Office blamed the bad weather the two consecutive months of decline compared to 2013 pilgrims. Holy Week For the first influx of walkers are expected

April 9, 2014 12:40

Although the data of arrival of pilgrims to Santiago invite not think that the Galician capital in this 2014 dial your own record of hikers on a unholy year from the Office of Pilgrims other panorama is drawn.In fact, january was fired as the best first month as pilgrims outside the Xacobean years.But the trend was reversed in February.With Compostelas 970, compared to 1,382 registered in 2013, date back to 2011 to find February with lower figures.In March, the situation did not improve over the previous year.During the last 3,150 pilgrims arrived in Santiago against the 7,229 recorded in 2013. These figures, however, are not representative held last year at Easter in that month.During this holiday week, from Monday 25 to Sunday March 31, the city received a total of 4,497 pilgrims, 62% of the total.

From the Pilgrims' Office for optimism thus recorded data as its own experience.In a normal (non-holiday) in March 2013 (the 4th to 10th March) Week 378 walkers came to Santiago, a figure that rises to 552 in the same week last March (in the 3 to 9 this March 2014).Therefore believe that the data in this March are a good sign that the pilgrimage route remains hard and, from February, blamed the negative to adverse weather conditions, with successive explosive cyclogenesis figures.This bad weather contributed to lessen the expectations of a year that started with the desire to record another record and that, according to the office, it is still possible to meet."Despite the bad weather, hikers who were already on their way to Santiago pilgrimage concluded.Those who had not started walking, and had the project in mind, not the left, just postponed it, as we have recognized. "

Therefore, it will be from now when you actually begin to assess whether the road retains its high pull.For now, from the Pilgrims Office is expected for Easter arrival of the first great walkers.

 

[Olivares]

I think April and May are going to see an "explosion" of pilgrims. Check Ivar's Camino Calendar for these months; already packed!! I do agree last year's weather reports on the Camino, specifically on the portion SJPDP-Pamplona seemed way more severe than this year's. Many of you may still recalled the various incidences of pilgrims rescued and, sadly, even death , bteween SJPDP-Roncesvalles. Back Mid-May 2013, I walked from Logroño to Burgos and never saw one hour of sunlight; misty rain, rain, thunderstorms, more rain. That was it for 5-6 days in a row. I still had a great time, but the muddy trails got to a lot of people and none worse than cyclists! Many had to take alternate paved roads, which meant often sharing with heavy traffic.

 

[Kanga]

It's official; blame the weather!

http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/notici...ago-pierde-fuelle/00031397036311854265951.htm

As rendered by Google Translate (and, perhaps, Borat):

.

It did have me laughing til the tears rolled. I particularly liked the "unholy year".