Warm Greetings from Korea - Your support is really needed!

[Bkim]

Dear Peer pilgrims, Warm Greetings from Korea!

Hope this finds you well and you are well and healthy!

I am Bona from Korea and have made my Camino pilgrimage journeys since 2008 and enjoy my life as a pilgrim.
I just came back from Spain after the completion of my 5th Camino and now carry out my research project on albergues along the way based on my pilgrimage this year.

My colleague and I would appreciate a lot your help in the response to the following short questionnaire that corresponds to a preliminary study on the importance and perception of albergues on the Camino de Santiago.

It is available in three languages: Spanish and English.
Spainish version: Estudio sobre la importancia y percepción de los Albergues en el Camino de Santiago
https://forms.gle/AfTosA5tGXDsvW7d9

English version: A Survey on importance and perception of albergues on Camino de Santiago
https://forms.gle/gnYY7K9CFGKQa55WA

It is aimed to investigate your perception of albergues on the Camino in order to highlight the pilgrims' considerations in choosing and staying at albergues and suggest the aspects of improvement in terms of the facilities, services, and overall experiences tailored to the needs and wishes of pilgrims.

I am really hoping to get your great support on this and carefully listen to your valuable experiences along the way so that I can share the final result with you on this forum again in the near future. Your candid and truthful responses regarding your pilgrimage experiences are really needed!

Thank you for your active participation and cooperation.

Cheers,
Bona

 

[Robo]

Done. The results should be interesting..........

 

[Bkim]

Done. The results should be interesting..........

Thanks much Robo for your participation. Yes I will definitely share the result with you all on this forum and hope it can be a piece of work that helps the albergue services and experiences for all pilgrims who are walking and will walk in the future. Stay in touch and thanks again for all your great supports, truly! B

 

[nidarosa]

Just filled it in, I take it you mean potable - drinkable - cool water, not portable? Ie opportunity to fill your water bottle before you leave in the morning?

 

[Tincatinker]

@Bkim, I've completed your survey with the best of intent.

I was struck though that many of the "characteristics" that you list are, to me, entirely peripheral to Pilgrimage and would have little influence on my choice of Albergue.

I seek weatherproof shelter, a bed and functional even if basic hygiene facilities. A welcoming host, a fire on a cold night, a meal shared: these are all the things on which fond memories are based. I do not walk Camino searching for the "best" accommodation.

The best Albergue I have ever encountered is the one wherein I lay my weary body at days end.

 

[Anamiri]

Dear Peer pilgrims, Warm Greetings from Korea!

Hope this finds you well and you are well and healthy!

I am Bona from Korea and have made my Camino pilgrimage journeys since 2008 and enjoy my life as a pilgrim.
I just came back from Spain after the completion of my 5th Camino and now carry out my research project on albergues along the way based on my pilgrimage this year.

My colleague and I would appreciate a lot your help in the response to the following short questionnaire that corresponds to a preliminary study on the importance and perception of albergues on the Camino de Santiago.

It is available in three languages: Spanish and English.
Spainish version: Estudio sobre la importancia y percepción de los Albergues en el Camino de Santiago
https://forms.gle/AfTosA5tGXDsvW7d9

English version: A Survey on importance and perception of albergues on Camino de Santiago
https://forms.gle/gnYY7K9CFGKQa55WA

It is aimed to investigate your perception of albergues on the Camino in order to highlight the pilgrims' considerations in choosing and staying at albergues and suggest the aspects of improvement in terms of the facilities, services, and overall experiences tailored to the needs and wishes of pilgrims.

I am really hoping to get your great support on this and carefully listen to your valuable experiences along the way so that I can share the final result with you on this forum again in the near future. Your candid and truthful responses regarding your pilgrimage experiences are really needed!

Thank you for your active participation and cooperation.

Cheers,
Bona



View attachment 134026

I started to complete your form, then realised there was no way to put reliable info in so I bailed.
The places I stayed were so diverse, there was no way to complete it. and if I had it wouldn't be accurate anyway. Because some of the best places dont have most of the features. And towns and villages are all different.

 

[Lindsay53]

I started to complete your form, then realised there was no way to put reliable info in so I bailed.
The places I stayed were so diverse, there was no way to complete it. and if I had it wouldn't be accurate anyway. Because some of the best places dont have most of the features. And towns and villages are all different.

Same here. The places I stayed all had their own characteristics that can't be broken down neatly on a survey, even one as detailed as this.

 

[Bkim]

Just filled it in, I take it you mean potable - drinkable - cool water? Ie opportunity to fill your water bottle before you leave in the morning?

Hi Thanks for your participation! yes, we are offered potable water at albergues. Also, before leaving albergues, we take the potable water from the place. This would be the meaning of potable watered offered.

 

[Bkim]

@Bkim, I've completed your survey with the best of intent.

I was struck though that many of the "characteristics" that you list are, to me, entirely peripheral to Pilgrimage and would have little influence on my choice of Albergue.

I seek weatherproof shelter, a bed and functional even if basic hygiene facilities. A welcoming host, a fire on a cold night, a meal shared: these are all the things on which fond memories are based. I do not walk Camino searching for the "best" accommodation.

The best Albergue I have ever encountered is the one wherein I lay my weary body at days end.

Hello, I also agreed with your concept of albergue as a shelter provided for pilgrims. Regarding the deeper meaning of albergue, I already conducted an array of "interviews" with fellow pilgrims on the way and understood the actual meaning of albergue to them.

The list of attributes of albergues includes "peripheral" services and facilities related to albergues as well. Definitely I have listed them up based on my five pilgrimage journeys based on my own observations and also many rounds of interviews with pilgrims. Of course I as a researcher have conducted in depth research on the elements of albergues based on the relevant literature.

Now what I am attempting to listen to you as peer pilgrims is all the inclusive elements of albergues, including the peripheral" services and facilities so that the list includes core elements and additional ones. that's why I kindly asked you to "evaluate" them in terms of importance and your perceptions based on your own experiences.

As you mentioned, if the attributes are less likely to fluence on my choice of Albergue, please choose "unimportant" on the scale. that would be really accurate answer!

In fact, many people who have not done the Camino do not understand the type of accommodations and its meaning to pilgrims. thus I am investigating the type of accommodation that is not only a space to stay one night but also a third place for pilgrims to be gathered for solidarity and social bonding.

I will take note of your meaning of albergues. That is valuable input as additional sharing indeed.

Hope the purpose of my research has been clarified.

Cheers!



I seek weatherproof shelter, a bed and functional even if basic hygiene facilities. A welcoming host, a fire on a cold night, a meal shared: these are all the things on which fond memories are based. I do not walk Camino searching for the "best" accommodation.

The best Albergue I have ever encountered is the one wherein I lay my weary body at days end.

 

[Bkim]

I started to complete your form, then realised there was no way to put reliable info in so I bailed.
The places I stayed were so diverse, there was no way to complete it. and if I had it wouldn't be accurate anyway. Because some of the best places dont have most of the features. And towns and villages are all different.

Hi there, first of all thank you for your trial! really appreciated!

I understand that all albergues are diversified so it is hard to choose an answer for all albergues. definitely understood! I also have stayed at more than 125 albergues so far. so in order to reduce the bias, I have tried to provide a statement that "you can choose a type of albergue that you normally stayed in filling in the questionnaire"

For the first part of importance, you can choose your own expectation on albergues - there is no issue here. However based on your experiences, you are kindly asked to choose a type of albergue among Public (Municipal), Private (Privado), Parish or church / Monastery (Parroquiao iglesia/Monasterio), which you stayed normally.

then only consider the type of it to share your opinion. otherwise there is no way to understand in-depth information about albergue from peer pilgrims. Hope this clarifies on the issues. and if you have clearer idea, you definitely are kindly asked to do it once again. your input is all appreciated truly!

Cheers

 

[Bkim]

Same here. The places I stayed all had their own characteristics that can't be broken down neatly on a survey, even one as detailed as this.

Hi there, first of all thank you for your trial! really appreciated!

I understand that all albergues are diversified so it is hard to choose an answer for all albergues. definitely understood! I also have stayed at more than 125 albergues so far. so in order to reduce the bias, I have tried to provide a statement that "you can choose a type of albergue that you normally stayed in filling in the questionnaire"

For the first part of importance, you can choose your own expectation on albergues - there is no issue here. However based on your experiences, you are kindly asked to choose a type of albergue among Public (Municipal), Private (Privado), Parish or church / Monastery (Parroquiao iglesia/Monasterio), which you stayed normally.

then only consider the type of it to share your opinion. otherwise there is no way to understand in-depth information about albergue from peer pilgrims. Hope this clarifies on the issues. and if you have clearer idea, you definitely are kindly asked to do it once again. your input is all appreciated truly!

Cheers

 

[dougfitz]

Like others, I found it difficult to express why I would or would not choose an albergue. On my most recent pilgrimage, in most cases it was because they were at a distance from the place that I last stayed that I thought was manageable. If that was a place where there are several options, only then would I be interested in delving more deeply. But even then, the major criteria would have simply been price. Unless there was some indication that a particular place was appalling, I would check availability from the lowest price to the highest.

This is in contrast to my first pilgrimage in 2010, where I started looking for somewhere to stay between 2 pm and 3 pm, and stay at the first place with a bed available. Only one or twice did I extend my day to get to a particular town or specific albergue.

Perhaps I had some more complicated criteria working with which I assessed whether I wanted to stay somewhere or not, but they must have been sub-conscious.

 

[Bkim]

Like others, I found it difficult to express why I would or would not choose an albergue. On my most recent pilgrimage, in most cases it was because they were at a distance from the place that I last stayed that I thought was manageable. If that was a place where there are several options, only then would I be interested in delving more deeply. But even then, the major criteria would have simply been price. Unless there was some indication that a particular place was appalling, I would check availability from the lowest price to the highest.

This is in contrast to my first pilgrimage in 2010, where I started looking for somewhere to stay between 2 pm and 3 pm, and stay at the first place with a bed available. Only one or twice did I extend my day to get to a particular town or specific albergue.

Perhaps I had some more complicated criteria working with which I assessed whether I wanted to stay somewhere or not, but they must have been sub-conscious.

Hi thanks for the reply.

Yes, it would be very difficult as you have done several pilgrimages and it depends on the situations as you said, e.g., distance and availability. but in this survey, the main intention for importance is not just when there is the only option but may be when there are several options to consider.

but even when you stayed at an albergue, you would think "oh that would be better to have this and that" etc. in the albergue. in fact, that would be further criteria which are needed for pilgrims.

of course, price would be the main issue, then in your case, others are likely "unimportant" but price is the most important element. that would be an accurate answer already.

Hope this time you can think about other elements related to albergue and recall your pilgrimage experience to be an important part of dataset if possible.

Once again, thanks for your participation.

 

[Anamiri]

Hi there, first of all thank you for your trial! really appreciated!

I understand that all albergues are diversified so it is hard to choose an answer for all albergues. definitely understood! I also have stayed at more than 125 albergues so far. so in order to reduce the bias, I have tried to provide a statement that "you can choose a type of albergue that you normally stayed in filling in the questionnaire"

For the first part of importance, you can choose your own expectation on albergues - there is no issue here. However based on your experiences, you are kindly asked to choose a type of albergue among Public (Municipal), Private (Privado), Parish or church / Monastery (Parroquiao iglesia/Monasterio), which you stayed normally.

then only consider the type of it to share your opinion. otherwise there is no way to understand in-depth information about albergue from peer pilgrims. Hope this clarifies on the issues. and if you have clearer idea, you definitely are kindly asked to do it once again. your input is all appreciated truly!

Cheers

I come from a database marketing background, and have been responsible for inflicting many surveys on people over the years with a view to increasing profits and sales.

However I always tuck the Camino into a 'non-commercial' part of my brain, because I walk for personal reasons, and the unpredictability of the Camino, and its unexpected delights is part of its charm for me. Some of the most basic places have provided lasting memories. And unplanned mishaps usually make for great stories.

It saddens me a little that the Camino will evolve: more pilgrims, extended services etc - making albergues feel that they need to confirm to unrealistic expectations. I see my journey on the Camino as a gift, and I hope other pilgrims dont increase their feelings of entitlement.

I have seen several surveys come up recently and I always cringe - knowing that the end game is a more 'tourist friendly' Camino. That's not one of the Camino attributes I would welcome.

I know that 'halting progress' is about as realistic as holding back the tide, but its the last thing I'd like to see.

 

[Bkim]

I come from a database marketing background, and have been responsible for inflicting many surveys on people over the years with a view to increasing profits and sales.

However I always tuck the Camino into a 'non-commercial' part of my brain, because I walk for personal reasons, and the unpredictability of the Camino, and its unexpected delights is part of its charm.

It saddens me a little that the Camino will evolve: more pilgrims, extended services etc - making albergues feel that they need to confirm to unrealistic expectations.

I have seen several surveys come up recently and I always cringe - knowing that the end game is a more 'tourist friendly' Camino. That's not one of the Camino attributes I would welcome.

I know that not happening is about as realistic as holding back the tide, but its the last thing I'd like to see.

Hi there, I do have empathy for the evolvement of Camino over time. I as a pilgrim who undertakes the Camino for religious purpose and my growth in faith, feel somewhat sad to see that the Camino has become a touristic journey. I also encountered and witnessed it this summer when I walked the Camino, however, it is how the Camino is being welcomed and recognized for now. We cannot really control the current Camino and all the relevant elements on the way unfortunately.

Albergues have its own nature and have been established for special aid for pilgrims which is grounded on hospitability. therefore, the accurate responses are really needed by you - all fellow pilgrims to prove what is needed and what matters in albergues and about albergue, which would be different from other typical accommodations.

I am glad to know that you have marketing background so that you know what the survey is. but this is social science research and it is not a commercial marketing research so that I am sure the result would embrace meaningful implications for maintaining our Camino and albergues in a sustainable way.

Please share this link with your pilgrim friends. their answers would be very important for this research.

Cheers,