Franciscan trails, boom of popularity in 2018

In 2018 about 22,000 people walked trails in Umbria by themselves, in groups or in the company of four-legged friends. Of this record number, about 15,000 walked the Franciscan paths to Assisi. The Statio Peregrinorum of the Sacred Convent of Assisi records almost 4,000 and offers a clear picture of the wider phenomenon that is renewing the image of Umbria in Italy and in the world.

According to the data presented during a  press conference held on Friday, 8 February with the head of the Statio Peregrinorum of the Sacred Convent of Assisi, Friar Paul Jhon Dinson, the Guardian of the Sacred Convent, Father Mauro Gambetti, the Archbishop of Lucca, Monsignor Paolo Giulietti, and the Director of the Press Office of the Sacred Convent of Assisi, Father Enzo Fortunato, Umbria and Assisi are the destinations most chosen in Italy to make a modern pilgrimage on foot, by bicycle, on horseback or by handbike. The Statio Peregrinorum, which collects data from walkers, shows an increase in 2018 of 10% of arrivals compared to the previous year, a real boom. In the period April - May, 300 pilgrims were registered in 2015, 788 in 2016, 1,164 in 2017 and 1,500 in 2018.

More men than women follow the Saint Francis Way (52.15% to 43.97%); 91.54% walked, 4.23% cycled, 0.53% rode on horseback, and 0.05% came by wheelchairs or handbikes.

The majority of pilgrims are Italian, but the Via di Francesco is an experience known throughout the world. Among international visitors, Germans are in first place (26.16%), followed by French (11.95), Americans (10.5%), Austrians (8.18%), Dutch (5.16%), Brazilians (3.9%) and even walkers from Alaska. Beyond the general increase compared to 2017, the United States has made a leap forward, reaching fourth place in 2017 and third place in 2018. The Via di Francesco and the paths of Umbria are increasingly a worldwide phenomenon, attracting visitors from 5 continents, 50 nations and over 1,000 cities.

The preferred period for walkers is from April to October, with a peak in August for Italians. Visits from other countries are concentrated in May, June and September. Asked for the reasons that they undertake the journey, 57% make no declaration and 29% cite religious/cultural reasons. 60% of walkers travel in groups.

Sviluppumbria, on behalf of the Region, deals with the promotion of tourism and the Via di Francesco. As an accelerator of the development of the tourist experience on tralis Sviluppumbria works with civil society (religious and civil associations) authorities and institutions, in particular with the Region of Umbria and municipalities along the routes, and research bodies.

In recent years, a single geographical route, the cartography and a unitary signage have been defined. An integrated communication & marketing plan has been created: multilingual guides, maps and brochures; press tours; co-marketing activities and events with Italian and international publishing houses. An important communications effort influencing the flow of English-speaking walkers, has been carried out by the American author Sandy Brown, author of the guide The Way of St Francis.

Sviluppumbria manages the website www.viadifrancesco which received 250,000 users in July 2018.

For more information about designing the Region's tourism offer, visit the dedicated page.