The Way of Sant James

• The winners in the four categories for the 2017 edition are the Melide Town Council, the Spanish Federation of Friends of the Camino de Santiago Associations, the Lugo Friends of the Camino de Santiago Association, the Tui company Ideas Peregrinas, the ‘Spin Way’ initiative by RedEmprendia, the Department of the Way of St. James at the University of Torun (Poland) and A Merced School in Sarria
• The Way of St. James has already received 250,000 pilgrims, 7.7% more than last year, coming from 175 countries, another sign of the international expansion and diversification of flows along the ten routes that cross Galicia

Santiago de Compostela, 26 September 2017

The winners have been announced in the four categories of the 2017 Camino de Santiago Awards, given by Turismo de Galicia. These awards, with which the Xunta de Galicia seeks to recognize work linked to the pilgrimage route to Santiago carried out by public institutions, associations, companies, universities, schools and researchers, will be presented in the next few weeks at an event held in Santiago de Compostela. Details are forthcoming for interested parties.

In the municipal government category, the award went to the Melide Town Council (A Coruña) for its work on beautifying and enhancing the section of the Way of St. James that passes through the town, signage for natural and heritage resources, and cleaning up sections of the route.

In the category intended to recognize initiatives and actions promoted by Friends of the Way of St. James associations, the award was given to the Spanish Federation of Friends of the Camino de Santiago Associations, which has been working for over 25 years to promote gatherings and congresses, as well as coordinating an ongoing hostel volunteer programme; and the Lugo Friends of the Camino de Santiago Association, which has done significant work in our community.

In the third category, the Camino de Santiago Awards recognize the Tui company Ideas Peregrinas, which offers a hostel and a pilgrim space; and RedEmprendia for the Spin Way initiative, which involves students from various countries.

Lastly, there is a fourth category recognizing activities of an academic, research or educational nature. In this case, the winners were the Department of the Way of St. James at the University of Torun (Poland) and A Merced School in Sarria (Lugo).

Awareness and knowledge

With these awards, the autonomous community government moves forward on improvements to the Way of St. James, especially its routes; natural, scenic and architectural surroundings; general protection and enhancement. The goal is also to raise citizen awareness around the values of the Way of St. James, stimulate knowledge of its heritage and foster collaboration within society, in coordination with public administrations.

This year’s prizes are awarded within the context of the growth and international expansion of the route, which this autumn celebrates 30 years as the First European Cultural Route. This week the Camino hit the 250,000-pilgrim mark, which represents a 7.7% increase over last year, when the Way of St. James achieved a historic high. As we reach the end of the ninth month of the year, these statistics demonstrate the internationalization of the route, as 54% of pilgrims are foreign nationals, another increase compared to 2016.

Almost 50 European countries

83.6% of the pilgrims come from close to 50 European countries, notably Italy (with over 24,000), Germany (around 19,000) and Portugal (more than 11,000). These are followed by France, Ireland, the United Kingdom and Poland, among the top 10. The Americas sent 11.5%, most notably the United States, with more than 13,000 pilgrims. Brazil, Canada, Mexico and Argentina all rank among the top 20.

Around 3% of pilgrims come from Asia, especially Korea, which ranks 11th, with over 3,600 pilgrims having received their Compostela at the International Pilgrim Welcome Centre in the Galician capital from January to date. Oceania represents 1.6% of the total, with Australia in 12th place, sending more than 3,000 pilgrims. Rounding out the list is Africa, with around 1,100 pilgrims, accounting for 0.4% of the total. South Africa, which is among the 30 countries with the strongest presence, is home to the majority of these pilgrims.

In total, the Way of St. James has received pilgrims from 175 different countries, compared to 141 last year, making it a valuable asset for fostering cultural exchange. The route is overseen by the Xunta de Galicia under the Way of St. James Master Plan, the road map which for the past two years has laid out the work to be done in a number of areas, looking forward to the next Holy Year, Xacobeo 2021. The majority of its €56-million investment has now been completed.

The Camino is also experiencing a diversification of pilgrim flows, as the French Route accounts for 59% of pilgrim traffic, while the Portuguese Route receives 20%. The remaining 21% is divided among the other routes as follows: Northern Route, Primitive Route, English Route, Via de la Plata Route, Portuguese Coastal Route, Fisterra–Muxía Route and Winter Route.