sillydoll
Veteran Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- 2002 CF: 2004 from Paris: 2006 VF: 2007 CF: 2009 Aragones, Ingles, Finisterre: 2011 X 2 on CF: 2013 'Caracoles': 2014 CF and Ingles 'Caracoles":2015 Logrono-Burgos (Hospitalero San Anton): 2016 La Douay to Aosta/San Gimignano to Rome:
Thank heavens there are pilgrims who prefer to use alternate accommodation along the camino! If the only choice was an albergue-del-peregrino, the pressure on these resources would be unsustainable! And, let’s face it, not all pilgrim refuges are spiritual Shangri-La. Many are just glorified Youth Hostels or Boot Camp with no attractive features or atmosphere. Pilgrims can mix their overnight stays with some in habitationes, hostales or fondas and others in some of the more traditional pilgrim refuges.
All pilgrims contribute to the economic growth of the various caminos to Santiago. The numbers of café-bars, albergues, hostales and pensions to accommodate all class of travelers has grown steadily with the numbers of pilgrims walking the caminos. This growth in the number of pilgrims and tour groups has provided a new source of income for the local economy and tourism impact studies show that “Cultural Tourism” has resulted in the restoration and preservation of formerly neglected villages, churches and other heritage monuments. And, can you imagine the exponential growth in the ‘panaderia, queso and jamon’ industries!!
I was amazed at the transformation of some little villages along the way. In 2002 a dusty and deserted Santa Catalina boasted a summer café-bar, no restaurants and no food supply. Today it is a thriving, pretty place with an up-market restaurant, and a number of sidewalk café-bars. Foncebadon is another that has taken on a new look (unfortunately framed in electricity cables). Eirexe now sports a new restaurant-cum-café-bar close to the albergue.
Local, regional and international agencies have been prompted to work together to promote and maintain the caminos as viable sources of cultural/religious tourism. The Galician Government’s Xacobeo 2004 campaign attracted over 12 million people. The numbers are expected to grow exponentially in 2010 and if the short You-Tube video we saw a couple of months ago is for real, pilgrims might all be staying in converted marine containers anyway!
All pilgrims contribute to the economic growth of the various caminos to Santiago. The numbers of café-bars, albergues, hostales and pensions to accommodate all class of travelers has grown steadily with the numbers of pilgrims walking the caminos. This growth in the number of pilgrims and tour groups has provided a new source of income for the local economy and tourism impact studies show that “Cultural Tourism” has resulted in the restoration and preservation of formerly neglected villages, churches and other heritage monuments. And, can you imagine the exponential growth in the ‘panaderia, queso and jamon’ industries!!
I was amazed at the transformation of some little villages along the way. In 2002 a dusty and deserted Santa Catalina boasted a summer café-bar, no restaurants and no food supply. Today it is a thriving, pretty place with an up-market restaurant, and a number of sidewalk café-bars. Foncebadon is another that has taken on a new look (unfortunately framed in electricity cables). Eirexe now sports a new restaurant-cum-café-bar close to the albergue.
Local, regional and international agencies have been prompted to work together to promote and maintain the caminos as viable sources of cultural/religious tourism. The Galician Government’s Xacobeo 2004 campaign attracted over 12 million people. The numbers are expected to grow exponentially in 2010 and if the short You-Tube video we saw a couple of months ago is for real, pilgrims might all be staying in converted marine containers anyway!