« Plus on y va, plus on a envie d’y aller » Questionner l’envie de revenir sur les Chemins de Saint-Jacques de Compostelle

Abstract

Between 2000 and 2019, the number of pilgrims arriving in Santiago de Compostela increased from 55,000 to 347,000. Despite a more modest number of pilgrims in France such as in the rest of Europe, the popularity of these itineraries continues to grow. This increased attendance is characterised by a diversification in the profiles of walkers, as well as their practices. Regarding this last aspect, we observed during our several fieldworks conducted in the south-west of France that for most of the pilgrims we interviewed, this trip wasn’t their first on the way of St-James. In order to understand the reasons that motivate so many people to renew their journeys on the itineraries leading to Compostela, this paper suggests to shed light on the importance of the socio-relational motivations of the walkers taking this route.

Keywords

• mobilities
• touring
• tourism
• social interactions
• way of Saint-James