Holy year impact in France

The impact will be huge. They are already preparing for it and several new pilgrim hostels are opening next year; two in the Camino Ingles. This August pilgrim numbers were up by 50%. We arrived on a Sunday and had to queue for 3 hours to get our Compostela. Holy Year is always huge in Spain, everybody tries to go. While doing the Camino we heard how even the locals walk on Holy Year. It is also worth considering that it will 11 years before the next Holy Year and I think this would have an impact as well. However, if you want to do it, that should not stop you. You must consider timing and possibly choose one of the less frequented routes. The Camino Ingles was fairly quiet even when 1,500 pilgrims were arriving everyday this August.

familypilgrims

Ultreia et suseia!

I do not have knowledge about how the trails in France were affected during the last Holy Year, but the only increase would come from pilgrims who are walking all the way to Santiago. The Holy Year is focused or related to St. James and thus the cathedrale there. All of the trails in Spain will see an increase in pilgrims, but I suspect that trails in France will not be as greatly impacted.

Some of our other members may be of more help with this..Sil, Falcon, or Ivar might have figures from the last Holy Year for trails in France alone.

Bon Chemin,

Michael

Hi,

HERE a pdf file, in French, with some Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port statistics.

Only an increase of 18,4 per cent between 2003 and 2004, the last holy year ... but it was 24,9 per cent for 2001 to 2002 ... !

So ...?

HERE the 2009 statistics until July.

Théo