Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
et al (1998). The main impacts relate to human excrement and litter deposited
on or near the trails by users and stall-holders who set up in proximity to the
routes. Kuniyal et al (1998) advocate a number of basic measures, such as reg-
ulation of traders, education of users and basic waste disposal systems to
manage the problem. On a more global scale, while walking is carbon neutral,
there are ancillary impacts, just as with any tourist activity. People travel to
pursue walking in exotic locations. Tours to remote, but iconic, mountain
ranges, such as the Himalayas, can have a high carbon footprint, given that
long-haul flights and often local helicopter shuttles are involved. Thus, a holis-
tic assessment of walking within the overall holiday context is required to fully
appreciate impacts on a global scale.
Summary
The importance of walking in relation to mass tourism, especially in city des-
tinations, is under-estimated and under-researched (Gehl, 1987). Walking in
cities is an integral part of slow travel, and there is much that researchers need
to learn about the interface between the tourist and the specificities of urban
locations which make them places where the tourist wants to be seen, and
places for them to see. Walking is pivotal in the analysis of sense of place or,
as Tolley and Walker (2004) conclude, the mental and social topographies of
cities:
In cities for people, there is more to walking than walking: stay-
ing, playing, walking, talking, smiling … we must stop thinking
about how fast our feet are moving and start listening to our
hearts and studying the faces of our cities to see if they are alive
and well. (Tolley and Walker, 2004, p1)
The art of walking as a means of accessing the countryside represents a more
fragmented market, in terms of inclination, motivation, strolling and hiking,
or by distance, duration and level of energy required (Kay and Moxham,
1996). A route march through the countryside is different to a saunter across
landscape, where time is spent to enjoy what the countryside has to offer, to
pick the berries, to understand farming and local culture or to experience
wilderness. It is this diversity that is so appealing, and in each country there
have emerged different rights of access (Hammitt et al, 1992).
Trails, of various forms, have given walking a new tourist focus in recent
years. They have attracted attention to a form of travel that is largely under-
played in tourism planning and management. Health and environmental
concerns have both brought walking to the attention of policy-makers and
have increased interest in walking as a leisure activity. This has been especially
the case in relation to urban areas, greenways and localities where access is
easy.
Slow travel encompasses all of these dimensions. It is for the person who
seeks to walk in the locality from their accommodation, and for those fol-
lowing a linear trail over a mountain range. The psychological dynamics may
