Planning and Developing Trails and Routes - Tourism and Trails: Cultural, Ecological and Management Issues - page 188

planning and development of footpaths, cultural heritage routes and nature
trails (Blair, 2003).
Based on the success of other trails, MacDonald (1987: 28-30) provided
several recommendations that can help make the process more democratic,
alleviate public concerns and help build community and political support for
a proposed trail:
• Use an existing non-profit organization to help in developing the trail.
Such an organization might already have developed clout in the area and
can help provide leadership and support.
• Have a clearly defined goal. This helps people feel more involved in a
project, particularly as goals and objectives are met throughout the
process.
• Connecting with extant, larger projects can help save money and smooth
the process.
• Utilize existing trail plans, as these will have already been vetted and
accepted at least to some degree.
• Dividing a project into manageable parts helps lighten the burden.
Sometimes it is easier to secure funding for smaller projects, particularly
if they are tied to other strategies.
• Actively seek cooperation with developers. There may be opportunities
for sponsorships, grants or other funding, as well as support for the trail
from private investors.
• Familiarizing key players with the proposed corridor and its resources
can help elected officials realize the importance of the project, not only
for funding but for general support as well. Providing a sense of continu-
ous progress and significant accomplishments is vital to building public
relations.
• Forming a citizens' committee will provide a sense of empowerment for
community members and allow them to feel their voices are being heard.
• Using publicity for the project's advantage helps build support and
political kudos. Newsletters, speakers and media releases are good
investments.
Cooperation and collaboration
Cooperation and collaboration are another important principle in any
tourism planning endeavor, including trail development. Partnerships are
essential in making routes happen. Without them any trail development
project is doomed to fail. Collaboration among national trusts, park services,
history associations, clubs, hotels and other tourism services is needed to
support trail-based tourism (Cheung, 1999; Mahoney, 1999). Timothy
(1998b) and Timothy and Tosun (2003) have identified five types of collabo-
ration that should exist in destinations for tourism to develop sustainably.