Commissioner advocates sustainable growth during the Jacobean Year
The newly appointed commissioner for the Xacobeo (Jacobean Year), Marcos Gómez Román, wants to attract more pilgrims to Galicia during the 2027 Jacobean Holy Year and extend its impact into subsequent years. In an interview with Europa Press, he said that the 540,000 pilgrims recorded in 2025 do not yet represent the limit. To increase that number without losing the religious and spiritual dimension of the Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James), he advocates spreading demand across more months and promoting less-traveled routes, such as the Vía de la Plata (Silver Route).
The commissioner does not expect widespread overcrowding but acknowledges concentrations in certain places and at specific times, particularly in Santiago’s historic center, where lines and waiting times affect residents, tourists, and pilgrims. Despite some isolated incidents, he rejects generalizations, considers civility and respect essential, and highlights the good relationship between pilgrims and Galicians. Talks already begun with the City Council and the Archdiocese will resume to improve visitor information and manage flows jointly with other authorities.
The Jacobean Year program is expected to reach all of Galicia and run throughout 2027, while also including activities in 2026 and 2028. The program will be defined after the summer and should be nearly finalized by the end of this year, although further changes may still be made. The Xunta de Galicia (Government of Galicia) intends to repeat major events held in previous years, add a special initiative that has yet to be defined, and involve businesses, residents, and visitors. Cultural activities, increasingly less concentrated within the Holy Year itself, will also be held before and after the celebration.
The Jacobean Year’s status as an event of exceptional public interest grants tax benefits to companies that fund its program, but sponsorship fell in 2026 because the Spanish government only activated the scheme midway through this year, when many budgets had already been finalized. Marcos Gómez expects to recover this support in 2027 and 2028 by continuing negotiations with interested companies. The Xunta de Galicia will ask for the benefits, valid through June 30, 2028, to be extended through December 31.
Following the 2021–2022 Holy Year, which was marked by the pandemic, Marcos Gómez Román believes the 2027 celebration could be exceptional. A possible visit by Leo XIV to Galicia would be very important and and is one of the biggest expectations for the next Jubilee Year, although the Pope’s visit to Spain this year makes another trip to Galicia during the Holy Year more difficult. The Galician government nevertheless stands ready to cooperate with the Church and will continue its efforts to bring the Pope to Galicia, even if only as a pilgrim.
