Tourism, Recreation and Trail Impacts - Tourism and Trails: Cultural, Ecological and Management Issues - page 151

offenders, overwhelmingly because they are dangerous (Schuett, 1997), but
motorized versus non-motorized use is at the core of most user-to-user con-
flicts (Dolesh, 2004b). Equestrians complain that cyclists are among the
rudest and riskiest users, since they often approach riders from behind with-
out courtesy warnings, frightening the horses in the process (Dolesh, 2004b;
Schuett, 1997).
Interestingly, a study by Beeton (1999b: 211) found that some people
who had negative attitudes toward horseback riders had not actually ever
encountered any themselves. Similarly, Dolesh (2004b: 58) noted that 'no
actual contact between user needs to occur for conflict to be perceived'.
Social benefi ts
There are many tangible and intangible benefits of trails for their sur-
rounding communities and for out-of-town visitors who make use of them
(Lipscombe & Geddis, 2000). Many of these benefits are social in nature, and
communities are beginning to understand that the social benefits of path-
ways and routes can be as important as economic benefits are for communi-
ties (Bowers, 2000).
Most of the social advantages of trails fit within the broader notion of
enhanced quality of life. From a leisure and tourism perspective, quality of
life (QOL) is defined in many ways but typically includes elements of health
and fitness, aesthetic environments, availability of open space and recre-
ational opportunities, community pride and empowerment, education, free-
dom to travel, and group cohesion and solidarity (Iles & Wiele, 1993; Phillips &
Budruk, 2011). QOL indicators are notably important in the trail context,
both for residents and visitors. In a study undertaken by the US National
Park Service, the QOL indicators noted above were found to be among the
highest benefits of trail use (Iles & Wiele, 1993: 27). For visitors these ele-
ments are extremely important, but they are even more so for local residents,
because they are characteristic of their home areas.
Trails as instruments for QOL enhancement are sometimes used by com-
munities to entice large corporations or other businesses to locate within
their boundaries, citing the aesthetic, health and leisure benefits of these
linear corridors for potential new employees. The companies then use the
same tactics to entice skilled workers to relocate to towns and cities with
solid trail networks. With trails often comes the establishment of cycling
clubs, birdwatching societies and other such organizations that create a more
hometown ambience for places. Thus, trails are assets for attracting new-
comers, as they create images of solitude, health, safety and public pride
(Betz et al. , 2003; Villa, 2001).
As noted above and in Chapter 3, physical fitness is a significant outcome
of trail use and one of the main motives for people utilizing ecotrails, urban
greenbelts and rural footpaths or bridleways (Iles & Wiele, 1993; Moore &
Driver, 2005; Moore & Shafer, 2001; Seward, 2001; Sheppard, 2004). Many