The Needs of Pilgrims - Your Insights
Fellow pilgrims. Firstly, apologies if you find my post inappropriate, as you might be sick of researchers. I am an avid walker of various Caminos – I just returned from my second time on the Camino Frances, where I also joined in the last few stages of the Portuguese to walk with some friends I met in 2018 on the CF. I am always fascinated by the experiences of other pilgrims (which is part of the reason I am drawn back to walk another pilgrimage), and how their planning and experience on pilgrimage was shaped. As an academic researcher, I am interested in examining the competitiveness of pilgrimage tourism destinations, to better understand what attractors are important to pilgrims (in terms of their decision making) when planning to visit a pilgrimage tourism destination like the Camino de Santiago. Of course, your motivation to complete a pilgrimage is very personal, and that aspect (the motivations of pilgrims) has been heavily researched. My research is looking at other aspects. I am hopeful that the results from my study can help inform stakeholders and decision makers associated with pilgrimage routes, using your expert insights into improving well-known routes, and by extension, creating new pilgrimage routes across the world for us all to enjoy – with the needs of the pilgrim front of mind. So if you have walked or cycled the Camino de Santiago previously (regardless of your chosen Camino route in Spain or length of pilgrimage), I would very much like to hear about your experience through a short 10 minute survey, which can be found here - https://scuau.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_e9BqYT9cue96dx4 . See you out on the trail!
- Inicie sesión o regístrese para comentar
Morning Aussie.
I'm MendiWalker from Bilbao.
Just out of curiosity, have you climbed Uluru?
Ondo Ibili!
MendiWalker
I haven't, MendiWalker. Uluru is considered a sacred cultural site for our indigienous (Aboriginal) population here in Australia, and therefore out of respect, I have never climbed it. That said, in 2019, the Uluru climb closed permanently (see story here - https://shorturl.at/4yzhl)
I'm a bit confused Aussie. I understand what a pilgrimage destination is and I also understand what a tourist destination is but I don't understand what a pilgrimage tourist destination is.
I also understand what an indigenous person is. The use of the word "aboriginal is a no no nowadays.
Second point first :) Our indigenous, First Nations brothers and sisters are referred to as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People. This term is culturally appropriate and inclusive language.
Pilgrimage tourist destination: once defined exclusively as a journey prompted by religious motivation, the current definition of pilgrimage accommodates both traditional religious and modern secular journeys (as we know many people walk the Camino for non-religious reasons). Pilgrimage tourism is essentially the process of visiting pilgrimage sites, like the Camino, amongst many others.
I see it this way Aussie. One is a pilgrimage and the other is tourism . Two different things . I understand that some people bend it in order to justify their trip . A clear example is a tourist who says they're on a pilgrimage just to stay at an albergue in order no to pay a hotel room.
"This research will point, in certain respects, to which elements (such as created assets or natural assets) are required to build a ‘competitive pilgrimage tourism destination’. Results from this research will be published in an attempt to assist tourism stakeholders in developing consumer-lead pilgrimage tourism activities and initiatives."
*Extraido de la encuesta
La verdad es que esto suena a turismo puro y duro. Pero no te culpo por ello. En realidad es así como el Camino se está viendo hoy en muchas partes del mundo, incluida España. Ciertamente yo preferiría que el Camino perdiese completamente su competitividad como destino de "turismo de peregrinación".
Espiritualidad + Negocio = Divorcio
P.D: Espero que esta respuesta te sirva para tu investigación.
Buen Camino!! :)
Veo que estamos de la misma opinión Berto.
Personalmente estás encuestas me parecen todas iguales. Me explico, entra uno se registra hace unas horas y sin sabes nada de el te suelta una encuesta para hacer donde tú das toda clase de pelos y señales. Luego desaparecen sin date ninguna clase de explicación sobre el resultado. No digo que está sea así pero parece igual que todas.
No estoy en desacuerdo contigo, Berto. La peregrinación en un sentido estricto representa viajes religiosos, viajes de peregrinos, especialmente aquellos a lugares sagrados o santuarios. Pero a medida que la peregrinación adquiere una perspectiva más secular, hay una convergencia, una unión entre la peregrinación y el turismo, que abarca tanto a los viajeros religiosos como a los peregrinos seculares atraídos por un lugar espiritual, y esto debe tenerse en cuenta al pensar en el desarrollo de la peregrinación moderna. rutas y destinos.
Nada que objetar!! Estoy de acuerdo contigo. El problema es cuando hay un gran desequilibrio hacia el negocio. Cuando una gran parte de "peregrinos" no saben absolutamente nada sobre la historia del Camino de Santiago es que algo está fallando. ¿Eres consciente de esta problemática? He visto tu encuesta y no hay ninguna pregunta sobre "desarrollo personal" "espiritualidad" "sentimiento religioso" "comunidad con otros peregrinos".... De verdad que siento decirlo, con todos mis respetos porque pareces una persona educada y respetuosa pero la encuesta que nos presentas va dirigida exactamente al tipo de turista que lo único que le importa es pasar unas vacaciones en un lugar culturalmente atractivo, seguro, barato y cómodo. Todo negocio turístico, nada peregrinación. Pido perdón de antemano si te ha ofendido mi opinión.
Not at all offended, Berto. It’s a good conversation. Aspects such as “personal development", "spirituality", "religious feeling", "community with other pilgrims" are key drivers for pilgrims seeking to undertake pilgrimage – I agree 100%. Some of these were important drivers for me when choosing to walk the Camino. However, for those stakeholders involved in developing and managing pilgrimage routes, those kinds of aspects are not within their zone of influence. The aspects we’ve mentioned (spirituality, religious feeling, community with other pilgrims etc) have been extensively researched. I note from a quick search on Google Scholar that there are 10,000+ results discussing pilgrims personal motivations. This is why I have chosen not to investigate those aspects here, as they have been already covered substantially. However, there isn’t a great deal of guidance for stakeholders in developing and managing pilgrimage routes to help them (the stakeholders) to better understand – outside of these motivating factors – what other elements (many of which also fall under the general notion of tourism) do pilgrims find important to their planning and enjoyment of pilgrimage routes. This is the crux of my research.
"However, for those stakeholders involved in developing and managing pilgrimage routes, those kinds of aspects are not within their zone of influence".
Las rutas de peregrinación no suelen pensar en términos de desarrollo y "managering": en esto piensan las empresas. Ergo...
You're right, Fernado. The development of pilgrimage routes and trails is not something that is discussed much, but there is a growing body of work that looks at the sustainable development and management of these routes. Whilst the Camino appears to be 'managed' on a regional level (ie. stakeholders in Leon y Castilla attending to their section), other pilgrimage routes have dedicated development entities that help drive the maintanance and improvements on pilgrimage routes ie. the European Association of the Via Francigena ways works to the link all stakeholders (local, regional, national, and European) along the 3000km Via Francigena route. They appear to be well resourced, with 20+ staff. Buen Camino!
Y en cuanto a la investigación, soy muy consciente de que a los peregrinos a menudo se les pide que completen una encuesta. Espero que mi investigación pueda añadir valor al desarrollo de rutas de peregrinación. Y, por supuesto, buscaré compartir mis hallazgos aquí en el foro. Si bien no prepararé un trabajo de investigación hasta más adelante en 2025 (ya que también estoy buscando recopilar datos el próximo año de los peregrinos que han caminado por la Vía Francígena), estaré feliz de compartir un resumen de las respuestas específicas del Camino una vez que la recopilación Esta completo. Podría tener la forma de una infografía.
We'll be eager to read your findings Aussie if Gronze is still around and if we're still around
Happy Trails
MendiWalker
Hopefully we are all around...more paths to walk!
I will keep this thread bookmarked, and will add a post here in the months ahead with the results. I might try to put together a visual infographic to reflect the results. I will continue to be active on the forum, as I am looking to walk the Ingles + tacking on the walk to Finisterre/Muxia in 2026. Always a wonderful experience walking in Spain.
If you're open to a suggestion visit Fisterra first. Then walk to Lires then onto Lands End .
Thanks for the suggestion. After I finished in Santiago in March, I headed out to Fisterra and Muxia, just for the day on the bus (as I needed to head back to Australia, so I couldn't continue my pilgrimage to the coast). The area looked amazing, which is why I'd like to go back and walk it.
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Desde que Enrique VIII defenestró la peregrinación a Canterbury, profanando la tumba de Becket, no ha habido peregrinaciones en la Europa protestante. ¿Por qué? Porque el protestantismo estuvo desde su inicio ligado a la desacralización del mundo y a su explotación capitalista. Las creencias se quedaron en la esfera individual y privada del ser humano, y se potenció, a través de la ciencia y la técnica, una visión del mundo natural que pinchaba lo mistérico y el espíritu de comunión.
La base misma de tu trabajo se tambalea si los parámetros con los que te mueves son los empresariales capitalistas de corte anglosajón: es sencillamente, una forma de aproximación e interactuacion con el mundo incompatible con el espíritu de una peregrinación sacra.
Te recomiendo que leas el trabajo "Resonancia" del filósofo alemán H.Rosa.
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Muy bien Fernando.
¡Le diste al clavo!
Saludos
Lo podras decir mas alto pero mas claro imposible Fernando.
Hace años se me ocurrio decir algo asi en el Foro Disney y me pedrearon como en la peli " La vida de Brian."