Fonte: ROTUR. Revista de Ocio y Turismo; Vol. 3 No. 1 (2010); 49-82
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Resumo: Tourism is increasingly important as an engine for stimulating the development of rural areas which, although immersed in a severe economic and social crisis, have an enormous natural and cultural heritage. The Caminos de Santiago network can be considered a good example of this. From this initial starting point, the research studies the potential of the French Camino de Santiago to be an alternative source of socioeconomic development for the rural areas through which it runs. The initial hypothesis is based on the idea that this type of tourism has served to relaunch the socioeconomic development of the rural municipalities along the route. The results will be analysed using data relating to the Galician stretch of the French Camino, the main route and the one most heavily frequented. This includes a total of fourteen municipal areas belonging to the provinces of Lugo and A Coruña and the data are for the period running from 1991 to 2005. The variables selected for study as indicators of the stimulating effect of the Camino relate to the demographic dynamics, market share and number of commercial licenses as well as the tourist index.
