The Asociación de Municipios del Camino de Santiago (AMCS) will hold a public session on June 25 at 7:00 p.m. in Room 26 of the Faculty of Economic and Business Sciences at the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, where it will present the initial findings of the Study on the Economic and Social Sustainability of the Camino de Santiago Francés, funded by the State Secretariat for Tourism within the framework of the Sustainable Tourism Strategy in Destinations.

The event will feature three complementary presentations. First, Maribel Martínez and Pablo Soria, director and analyst at Abay Analistas, will outline the methodology and main conclusions of the research they are conducting for the AMCS. Their diagnosis explores the strengths and weaknesses of the productive fabric linked to the Camino, the evolution of direct and indirect employment, the opportunities and barriers to local entrepreneurship, and the challenges posed by generational renewal and business continuity along the route. The study contrasts official data sources (INE, SEPE, Chambers of Commerce) with targeted interviews with economic stakeholders, and aligns with the indicators of the Sustainable Tourism Strategy to ensure its findings can inform decision-making in municipalities and SMEs.

Next, Andrés Precedo Ledo, emeritus professor of Human Geography at the USC and current president of the AMCS Scientific Committee—internationally recognized as one of the leading experts in spatial planning and local development—will expand on the conclusions of his well-known work Cultural tourism as a strategic development factor: the Camino de Santiago. He will focus on the capacity of the Xacobeo brand to revitalise both declining rural areas and the city of Santiago itself, and will highlight the need to integrate tourism into a balanced development model that strengthens the region’s social capital.

The final presentation will be delivered by Melchor Fernández Fernández, PhD in Economics from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, associate professor and director of the Department of Economic Analysis at the USC, coordinator of the Economic Analysis and Modelling Group (GAME), and recipient of the Valentín Paz Andrade Award for research in Galician economics. With a track record of over eighty research projects as lead investigator, Fernández will present the key points of his work on residents’ perceptions and the coexistence between locals and pilgrims, drawing on the study The impact of the Camino de Santiago at local scale. The perception of residents in two Galician municipalities. This work shows a generally positive assessment and no signs of overtourism, though it warns of latent tensions regarding housing and services. His talk will also address emerging tourism-related friction (turismofobia) in Santiago de Compostela and propose participatory governance measures to preserve social cohesion.

Following the three talks, a discussion will be opened with the audience. Through this study and events like this one, the Asociación de Municipios del Camino de Santiago aims to demonstrate how to equip municipalities with objective tools to ensure that the economic benefits associated with the Camino are redistributed locally, that employment and entrepreneurship take root in the region, and that the coexistence between residents and pilgrims unfolds in a climate of respect and strengthened public services. The ultimate goal is for the Camino to remain a driver of inclusive prosperity and social well-being, without losing the heritage essence that makes it an international benchmark.