Counting Pilgrims

[Richard Ferguson]

I noticed the count of 270,000 pilgrims also.  I think that number
represents "pilgrim-nights", not pilgrims.  In other words, if you walked
from Sarria to Santiago in five days and four nights, and stayed in the
refugios, that would be four pilgrim nights, but only one compostela.  The
Compostela  counts only those pilgrims that actually walk into the office
and get the certificate, and only counts them once per completed trip.  I
think that the compostela count is still the best one to use.

Obviously a few people complete the trip but do not get a compostela, but
I think that is a very small number.  Some people walk the Camino in
sections, a week at a time, so they would be a pilgrim year after year, but
only get a compostela when they finish the journey.

As far as 10,000 pilgrims per day, that would be double my estimate, but
within the realms of possibility.  Maybe they would have to have tents in
the plaza to handle the compostelas.  The other issue is that pilgrims on
foot are only part of the story.  Many others will arrive by bus, train, plane,
or car.  As someone else reported from the 1993 Holy Year, even if the
Camino is not too crowded, Santiago and the cathedral could be a
complete zoo.

Richard

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<snip>
In the base figures for your projections you show a total number of
pilgrims
for 2002 as 74,000; yet, it was recently stated by those in charge that
about
270,000 pilgrims made use of the 150 publicly sponsored albergues in
that
year.
It would appear that the number of pilgrims that receive the Compostela
constitutes less than 25% of the total number of pilgrims.
About a month ago La Voz de Galicia estimated that as many as 10,000
pilgrims
per day were expected to arrive in Santiago around the 25th of July next
year, and they were wondering how would the Archdiocese manage the
logistics of
issuing Compostelas, keep some form of plausible movement within the
Cathedral,
etc.
<snip>