Demand for Trails and Routes - Tourism and Trails: Cultural, Ecological and Management Issues - page 114

part shaped the heritage industry in how the past is both presented and re-
packaged to visitors today as part of a larger framework of place commodifi-
cation (Dann, 1994; Vesey & Dimanche, 2003). Vesey and Dimanche (2003:
55) suggest that destinations, particularly heritage ones, are 'marketed, sold
and consumed via systems of icons that represent particular meanings of
place while omitting others'. This position does not take into account that
today's visitors are not passive but rather more 'mindful' as they question the
way they view the world (Moscardo, 1996).
Caton and Santos (2007) combine experiences and nostalgia concepts in
their study of how visitors experienced the Route 66 National Historic
Corridor. Based on interviews with tourists traveling the corridor, elements
of the route experience involved gaining historical insight, driving, visiting
unique places, interacting with people and undertaking an odyssey. However,
their experiences did not match the notion of nostalgia, because they held
present-centered views, that the history they took from the route was not
always a positive one, and that instead of seeking and experiencing
familiarity along the way, participants sought and experienced a challenge
and personal growth. Their research establishes that with heritage routes,
the visitor experience is both complex and multifaceted, given that this type
of traveler is engaged in activities that require mindfulness, rather than
mindlessness, leading to greater levels of enjoyment and satisfaction.
Willard and Beeton (2012) focused on visitor experiences as regards the
quality of a rail-trail in Australia, over the physical aspects of the trail itself.
They found that ancillary services were important to trail users, and that
quality services helped create good experiences, while poor service has the
potential to ruin an experience.
Many variables influence whether or not a person has an enjoyable or
satisfying route experience. Emotions, connections to nature or culture, past
experience, purpose of use, frequency of use, time constraints or lack thereof,
motorized or non-motorized use, location and surrounding environment,
design, place attachment, trail type and pathway features can all influence
the level of gratification gained from using a trail or route (Andereck et al. ,
2001; Kyle, Graefe & Manning, 2004; Lee & Shafer, 2002; Lieber &
Fesenmaier, 1984, 1985; Moore & Graefe, 1994; Wessell, 1997).
Research by Eby and Molnar (2002: 99) elucidated several important
factors that influence route choice for people traveling to a destination on
an overnight drive trip (Table 4.11). As Eby and Molnar note, the most
highly-rated variables were associated with the actual characteristics of the
route and the act of driving.
Past experience and loyalty
In the context of nature, it appears that past experience influences trail
choice and satisfaction. As trail users gain more experience, they tend to