- Time of past OR future Camino
- Too many and too often!
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Whilst a reasonable assumption, who really knows? You only have to look at the numbers pre-covid to see that they're all over the place. The yearly total's don't even consistently climb year on year, let alone any one individual month.@Monasp asks if that may have something to do with the Olympics making travel more difficult.
Can't speak for anyone else but in my own case a combination of the first two reasons. I read about other peoples' experiences on alternative routes here and in other online spaces and something in particular may catch my eye and draw me in that direction. And I also bear in mind which routes are easily and cheaply reached from the UK. A number of articles I have seen in recent months about the remarkable growth in numbers walking the Portugues routes have pointed out that easy access to Porto airport for international travellers is likely to be a significant factor.Considering that the overall numbers for all caminos are up significantly more than that, you might as well ask why people are choosing to walk alternative routes. Access? Awareness? Media hype?
I walked the Portugues from Valenca in May and I have never seen such crowding on a Camino route. Not even on the Camino Frances in September. Extraordinary numbers. After Caldas de Reis I was rarely out of sight of another pilgrim for more than a minute and when resting for some water or a snack I could be passed by 50 or more pilgrims in a few minutes.I know the Coastal route is more popular, and o know many begin in Tui, but I just never felt there were many pilgrims around.
Here are the weekly statistics for 2024 up to August 4I wish that the SJPdP Pilgrim Office still published their statistics on their website, and I particularly liked the graph from the year that they showed the numbers week by week, like this one from 2017.
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Thank you.Here are the weekly statistics for 2024 up to August 4
This is not limited to the meseta. A friend with an albergue in Navarra has seen decreases in numbers, too. I remember that a few years ago, the government of Navarra had undertaken a SOS program to try to stimulate numbers, but I cannot find the threads that discussed this.I've just been reading an article from a Burgos news website in which albergue owners are complaining about a larger than usual drop in pilgrim numbers on the meseta this summer.
Peregrinaje a medio Camino a su paso por Burgos
Los albergues demandan más promoción de la Meseta ante el desplome estival de romeros. Las altas temperaturas, la mala fama del tramo entre Burgos y León y la escasez de zonas de sombra ahuyentan cada vez a más caminanteswww.diariodeburgos.es
I've just had a look at the SJPDP pilgrim office Facebook page and the only full years I could see are quite old - 2016 and 2017. But the pattern for those looks pretty similar. Perhaps @Monasp will post last year's graph soon.Thank you.
Is there a weekly statistics graph for 2023? I'd like to see one that shows an entire year.
Maybe I’m misunderstanding something here. The total number? I’ve seen so many references to “400,000 people a year do the Camino” and here all the year end totals are mid five figures?@Monasp has just posted the latest monthly pilgrim count from the pilgrim office in SJPDP on their Facebook account. A drop of 6.25% for July compared with last year. @Monasp asks if that may have something to do with the Olympics making travel more difficult. Here is the table of figures for those who do not use Facebook.
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The SJPDP pilgrim office figures are almost entirely for those beginning only one route - the Camino Frances. And in recent years those choosing to begin the Camino Frances in SJPDP are a small fraction of all pilgrims. But the 440,000+ figure is the total from the Santiago pilgrim office and is for those walking all possible routes and receiving a Compostela.Maybe I’m misunderstanding something here. The total number? I’ve seen so many references to “400,000 people a year do the Camino” and here all the year end totals are mid five figures?
Maybe I’m misunderstanding something here. The total number? I’ve seen so many references to “400,000 people a year do the Camino” and here all the year end totals are mid five figures?
The SJPDP pilgrim office figures are almost entirely for those beginning only one route
Ooops, sorry, that's what I get for not reading carefully enough. Yes, I thought it was the pilgrims office in Santiago.These are the numbers leaving SJ PDP, not the numbers arriving in Santiago (SdC)
Prices go up, pilgrims stop coming.I've just been reading an article from a Burgos news website in which albergue owners are complaining about a larger than usual drop in pilgrim numbers on the meseta this summer.
I think it is probably more of a seasonal lull. Prices have gone up a lot in recent years but despite that overall numbers have continued to increase at a remarkable rate. The Camino Frances doesn't seem to be seeing much of that growth though.Prices go up, pilgrims stop coming.
I think it really is that simple.
Sad to hear. I loved the Meseta. Have done it 3 times. I did the Frances for the third time late April through June. I was tempted to end early just because I felt there were too many people. I really enjoyed it the first two time when there were less people. Also, the Spaniards seemed less friendly this time around. I attributed it to the volume and behavior of the pilgrims. I saw some pretty ugly behavior. Not the norm but not nice.This is not limited to the meseta. A friend with an albergue in Navarra has seen decreases in numbers, too. I remember that a few years ago, the government of Navarra had undertaken a SOS program to try to stimulate numbers, but I cannot find the threads that discussed this.
Well this is a thread about numbers specifically on the Francès, and apart from Sarria onwards and the first stages after SJPP, they have been falling overall for a few years now.I think it is probably more of a seasonal lull. Prices have gone up a lot in recent years but despite that overall numbers have continued to increase at a remarkable rate. The Camino Frances doesn't seem to be seeing much of that growth though.
Are you implying that prices are higher on the Meseta than the rest of the Francés or on other routes like the Primitivo and Portuguese caminhos?Well this is a thread about numbers specifically on the Francès, and apart from Sarria onwards and the first stages after SJPP, they have been falling overall for a few years now.
That's not to say they aren't growing on other Camino routes.
No, just generally that prices overall have skyrocketed in the past 5 years. Anecdotally, pilgrims I have spoken to this year are definitely doing shorter walks.Are you implying that prices are higher on the Meseta than the rest of the Francés or on other routes like the Primitivo and Portuguese caminhos?
Definitely not true in my experience.
Prices go up, pilgrims stop coming.
I think it really is that simple.
Anecdotally, pilgrims I have spoken to this year are definitely doing shorter walks.
Sadly. But there are more voices, and more passionate voices, telling them to steer clear of that route.
That is not my observation about people asking on the forum about the Frances for a first-timer. The passionate voices speak of the suitability of the Frances, but strongly point out a couple of important factors to be aware of.And for sure there are some voices saying that the Frances is good for first-time pilgrims. But there are more voices, and more passionate voices, telling them to steer clear of that route.
Weekly 2023Thank you.
Is there a weekly statistics graph for 2023? I'd like to see one that shows an entire year.
They do publish them on this site: https://oficinadelperegrino.com/en/I wish that the SJPdP Pilgrim Office still published their statistics on their website, and I particularly liked the graph from the year that they showed the numbers week by week, like this one from 2017.
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I'm talking about the statistics compiled by the pilgrim office in St Jean Pied de Port, not Santiago.They do publish them on this site: https://oficinadelperegrino.com/en/
Not sure why they don’t come up on the other site.
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