Nature Trails and Mixed Routes - Tourism and Trails: Cultural, Ecological and Management Issues - page 90

Case Study: Causeway Coastal Route (CCR), Northern
Ireland ( Continued )
In 2009, a Portrush Regeneration Strategy invited tender bids for private-
sector development of four-star hotels, including a conference center. To
date, however, no new quality lodging has been added, with the only
significant improvements being publicly funded. This was particularly
the case prior to the 2012 Irish Open Golf tournament in Portrush.
Anecdotal information suggests that footfall has risen since the route
was established. A survey of 575 visitors at the Giant's Causeway in June
2007 found that 78% had heard of the CCR and 63% had used the CCR
to get to the Giant's Causeway, as opposed to the faster inland major
arterial routeway. This is a positive outcome given that the route was
formally marked only earlier that year. More recently, the 2011 Northern
Ireland visitor attitude survey for the Causeway Coast and Glens region
showed that 80% stated they had visited the Giant's Causeway, seven in
10 had followed the CCR, and one in four had visited a historic castle or
house, suggesting that the CCR was the preferred means of accessing
this region and visiting its attractions. Looking forward, the Causeway
Coast and Glens Tourism Partnership, which includes six of the nine
councils involved with the CCR, published a Tourism Area Plan for
2012-2017, which acknowledges the route as a premier touring trail as
part of its 2012 baseline for growth (Causeway Coast and Glens Tourism
Partnership, 2011). Presently there is an absence of research on the sup-
port of local communities for the establishment of this scenic driving
route. It is yet to be seen if footfall and economic benefits have increased
since the scenic drive was designated, and whether or not all visitors to
Northern Ireland would want to include it in their trip itineraries.
Rails-to-trails
Railway transportation became popular in Europe and North America in
the latter part of the 19th century for products and passengers. It was the
most efficient means of transporting goods and people by land until the
advent of the combustible engine and the widespread use of cars and other
gasoline-powered vehicles in the early 20th century, as well as the populariza-
tion of the airplane after World War II. Although trains are still important
modes of transportation, the road- and highway-based conveyance of goods
and products is usually more efficient in large container trucks, a fact that has
diluted the use of railroads for the commercial movement of goods. As well,
while passenger train travel is still prevalent in Europe and parts of Asia, its
popularity in North America has waned considerably since the 1970s to the
point where relatively few places in Canada and the US are accessible by train.