The Camino de Santiago: From Religious Route to Inclusive Tourism Attraction Background

Abstract

The completion of the Camino de Santiago is a great and significant experience that we have been able of the path and with pilgrims with different abilities and different reasons for traveling the path. I met along the different stages of the way, pilgrims with different capacities and different reasons for walking the trail. It was interesting to see the multifaceted offerings of what has become a generator of tourism attracting a wide variety of visitors. The route I took was the Portuguese one, on which I walked from Valença do Minho (Portugal) to Santiago de Compostela, through forests and small towns, enjoying history, culture, etc. I witnessed how the towns through which the route passed opened up to support and even assist the hikers in this process, showing the same enthusiasm and dedication every day, as if it were the first, not losing their enthusiasm and sincerity with the passage of time. I am sure that, to a large extent, the Way's success is thanks to those citizens who open their doors and businesses and share their traditions. All this leads me to analyze how the pandemic has affected the Camino, the strategies to deal with its negative effects, and the important role that technologies play in transforming this tourism experience into one that is more inclusive and characterized by empathy and friendliness.

Keywords: Camino de Santiago, tourist experiences, inclusive tourism, social inclusivity.