Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
centuries, the development of settlements across the world was usually planned
such that the distance to be walked from a dwelling to the centre was of no
more than 30 minutes' duration; life revolved around the historic core of each
of the ancient cities. It is generally the oldest quarters of towns that the tourist
seeks to explore in the 21st century; some of these places are now overwhelmed
by the level of visitation at peak times (Marchetti, 1994; Orba¸li, 2000). The
exploration of place remains invariably on foot, as these ancient thoroughfares
were not designed for motorized transport and most city governments have
restricted access accordingly (English Historic Town Forum, 1994). This is the
very essence of slow travel; exploring at a pace where sensory perception is
attuned to the familiar, and in some cases unfamiliar, sights, sounds and smells.
The literature covering the subject of walking is limited, and in the main
there is an adherence to the concept of utility; walking to work, to school or
to the shops. These trips are considered to be relatively more important in
everyday life, in comparison to walking to recreational areas or for recreation
(Cerin et al, 2007). This has been a long-standing rule of thumb in transport
planning. Utility trips and time-savings are crucial to the economy; travel for
enjoyment is not. In recent years, however, a widened interest in the concept
of quality of life has led to a more detailed discussion of the nature of all trips.
In many cases even utility trips include elements of escapism or pleasure that
have been referred to as excess travel (Mokhtarian and Saloman, 2001). There
has also been a renewed interest in the design of open spaces in urban areas
where walking can flourish (CABE, 2009). In addition, health has been a
major focus of research studies during the past decade. The health factor is
currently high on the agenda. This is not surprising, given an alarming rise of
cardio-vascular diseases, diabetes type 2, strokes and high levels of obesity,
associated with sedentary living across the world population (Guthold et al,
2008; Siegel et al, 1995; World Health Organization, 2004). Interventions to
encourage increased levels of physical activity have, at their core, walking for
health (Cavill and Bauman, 2004; Lumsdon and Mitchell, 1999).
Walking is ubiquitous, and thus an option for most people, regardless of
age, wealth, ethnicity or gender, although there are differences in the amount
of walking undertaken if analysed by these variables. For example, women are
less likely to walk for recreation on their own, the main reason being related
to perceived levels of personal security (Cloke et al, 1996; Foster et al, 2004).
Walking, nevertheless, is one of the most effective ways to increase physical
activity in order to improve the welfare of the population, but the tourism sec-
tor is not heavily engaged in these interventions (Eves et al, 2003). There is,
however, something of a renaissance of wellness (mental and physical) as a
core motivation for tourist activity:
the scarce research available suggest that those who avail them-
selves of the plethora of experiences available appear to be not
only on a touristic journey of physical movement, but also on a
journey towards greater self-awareness and contentment. (Smith
and Kelly, 2006, p1)
