Pilgrimage or tourism? Travel motivation on Way of Saint James Online publication date: Thu, 01-Apr-2021
by Noelia Araújo Vila; Lucília Cardoso; Arthur F. De Araújo; Jose A. Fraiz Brea
International Journal of Tourism Anthropology (IJTA), Vol. 8, No. 1, 2020
Abstract: Among the widely known places of pilgrimage is Santiago de Compostela (Spain) and linked to it "Way of Saint James" (El Camino de Santiago in Spanish) - through its different routes. The present work analyses this way from three perspectives: 1) that of potential pilgrims searching information about "El Camino"; 2) that of tourists who do "El Camino", focusing on their motivations; and 3) that of the academic world. Results show that "El Camino de Santiago" is resource that generates worldwide interest, for its religious aspect, and for the touristic one, which are often combined in visitors' motivations. Between 2004 and 2018 the number of pilgrims who arrived in Santiago increased by 67.34%. And special interest is given to the Jacobean Years, with figures of pilgrims that double those of the non-saintly years. Furthermore, research in this field shows that religious or spiritual motivation is still present, although combined with other motivations such as heritage, culture, tourism and the experience itself.
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