Cultural Routes and Heritage Trails - Tourism and Trails: Cultural, Ecological and Management Issues - page 35

Figure 2.5 Way of St James and secondary routes
traditional route. A credential or 'pilgrim passport' is given to pilgrims
who walk at least 100 km or cycle at least 200 km (Gonzáles & Medina,
2003). After getting it stamped at key locations along the way and after
arriving at the destination, an official certificate of completion ( compos-
tela ) is given, thus confirming the pilgrim status of a trail user (Murray
& Graham, 1997). Statistically, these are the ones counted by the pil-
grimage office at Santiago de Compostela.
The Camino is seen as an important economic driver for the Galicia
region of Spain and for all of the communities along its course. As well,
the establishment of the route was seen as an important tool for urban
renewal in the villages, towns and cities it passes through (Gonzáles &
Medina, 2003). Despite the route's popularity in the Middle Ages, by the
1980s, only a few hundred people walked the trail each year (eturbo
News, 2008). However, the Holy Year of 1993 was seen in Spain as a
critical time for promoting the trail and using it as an economic engine
through tourism. Additional pilgrim hostels were erected, cultural events
were planned and delivered, and cities and towns were regenerated
(Gonzáles & Medina, 2003). Promotional initiatives by the Spanish gov-
ernment and the Galician regional government, as well as the route's
1993 inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Council of
Europe Cultural Route have increased trail use dramatically (eturbo
News, 2008; Gonzáles, 2006). It is today much more than a pilgrimage
( Continued )