[Gocamino] Holy Year Numbers

[Johnnie Walker]

Greetings from Santiago

 

I was very interested in Tim´s point (see below) about whether or not numbers were up or down accross the routes so I spent some time today delving into the data base. I´ve done a total for the year so far with an analysis. I´ve also compared various starting points for the last three years for the period 1st January to 31 August. The results are fascinating. Starting in St Jean de Pied Port for example numbers are way below what was expected, indeed from Pamplona numbers are marginally down. The surge comes much closer to Santiago as you wll see.

 

Click on this link to see the report:  www.johnniewalker-santiago.blogspot.com

 

I am here fore a few days more and return mid-end September. If any of the numbers aficionados have particular lines of enquiry send them to me and I´ll find out what I can.

 

Best wishes

 

John


www.johnniewalker-santiago.blogspot.com
 



 
> Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2010 16:52:56 +0200
> From: tim at errecaldia.com
> To: sillydoll at gmail.com
> CC: gocamino at oakapple.net; saintjames at yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Re: [Gocamino] A few Holy Year stats
> 
> Hi Sil and all,
> This is very interesting and very confusing, because here in Saint 
> Jean Pied de Port we have not seen this huge increase. In fact, up to 
> the end of June, there had been little or no increase at all. Those 
> wishing to be in Santiago for the last week in July would have had to 
> leave here by the end of June. The figures are 11,891 for 2010 and 
> 11,565 for up to the end of June 2009. My own observations for the 
> month of July don't make me think that there is any great increase for 
> July in the offing.
> So it would appear that Northern Europe is not the source of this 
> increase in numbers. I feel sorry for those who have invested in new 
> albergues in the town it must be quite heartbreaking for them. I have 
> seen no reduction in business nor any great increase but then again I 
> don't welcome pilgrims specifically and many of my 'Pilgrim' clients 
> tend to use me as a 'halfway house' a break for two or three days in a 
> private room with it's own bath and shower facilities before setting out 
> once again.
> As I say it's interesting and I await your comments.
> Tim
> 
> Sil wrote:
> > In the first seven months of the year 136 500 people , representing a fifty
> > percent increase from the last Holy Year , collected the Compostela from the
> > Pilgrim's Office. During July they issued 42 359 Compostelas and August is
> > expcted to be higher. 12 000 youth pilgrims will decend on Santiago today -
> > they are being housed at Monte de Gozo, sports halls, colleges and schools
> > and they will be issued Compostelas outside of the pilgrims office.
> > In the first seven months of the year the Civil Protection volunteers
> > attended to more than 70,000 people over eighty municipalities through which
> > the Camino passes. In a thousand kilometers of roads there are deployed a
> > thousand volunteers , nearly one in every kilometer .
> > With an average of 330 performances each day, most of the incidents
> > involving wounded or injured hikers. Fatigue , dehydration, sunburn and
> > wounds are the most common reasons that lead the pilgrims to use the Civil
> > Defence volunteers deployed along the Camino. While in most cases the
> > situation is resolved by a first-aid care on site, on 450 occasions has also
> > been necessary to move injured pilgrims to a shelter or even the nearest
> > health center .
> > Almost half of the care carried out on pilgrims - over 35 000 - was on the
> > Portuguese Way while the other 27 000 took place in one of the
> > municipalities through which flows the Galician section of the French Way .
> >
> > 
> 
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