Camino Overpopularisation

[Anonymous]

The spirit of the pilgrimage

To Be a Pilgrim ... by Laurie Dennett

Excerpt.

This essay arose from a special meeting of the Confraternity Committee in June 1996. We met to consider the fears raised by what some have seen as the recent over-popularisation of the Camino de Santiago. In the face of official efforts to transform the pilgrim journey into a species of mass tourism in 1993 our concern was twofold: for the physical integrity of the Camino and for the quality of the pilgrim's experience of the route. We discussed whether these fears were justified, and ways of mitigating the damage and preserving the essentials. The approach of another Holy Year in 1999 made this a matter of prime importance. I am grateful to my colleagues for their contributions to our discussion and to this essay.

Source: http://www.csj.org.uk/spirit.htm

 

[Steve S]

xm,

Thanks for calling our attention to this article. There are some important points and reminders here for all of us.

Steve S

 

[Minkey]

...and the Spanish tourist board are spreading it over the pages of broadsheet newspapers. Class.