Planning and Developing Trails and Routes - Tourism and Trails: Cultural, Ecological and Management Issues - page 191

have more than one subject focus, most successful routes emphasize a spe-
cific cultural or natural theme, such as wine, food, urban heritage, heavy
industry, an endemic animal, or a plant species. Compelling themes should
be chosen that will appeal to a wide market segment and provide memorable
and pleasant experiences. For themed trails, a coherent story and a wide
range of linked points are essential (Hayes & MacLeod, 2007).
Shorter nature routes can even be themed, such as wildlife viewing,
leading to a scenic viewpoint, general exercise, visiting archaeological sites or
emphasizing a form of geology (Bell, 2008). As for urban routes, the theme is
often based on history, significant individuals and architectural forms.
Case Study: Themed Urban Walking Heritage Trails in
New Zealand
Cities offer diverse attractions, including interesting street patterns,
architectural styles of various periods of history, unique buildings and
historic core areas (Boyd & Tham, 2004). It is becoming more common
for urban places to design trails, either formal or informal, for recreation
and tourism. This case study reports research that was undertaken on
urban heritage walking trails in Dunedin and Napier, New Zealand. The
research developed a typology of urban trail development and examined
issues associated with trail development and management from the per-
spective of businesses located close to or on the trails.
Dunedin was not always linked to tourism. In the 1980s the city had
problems similar to those of other cities: failing infrastructure, lack of
investment and poor perception of liveability. The city had the option of
transforming itself into a post-industrial economy or suffer a slow and
painful death. In 1993 the strategy 'Dunedin 2000' was conceived. It
focused on marketing and promoting the city in four ways: business,
tourism, education and flagship development, the latter relating to heri-
tage and conservation. Dunedin 2000 aimed to reposition the city
around a number of propositions, including an enterprising innovative
place, a cost-effective location, a better place to live and work, a physi-
cally attractive city and one that had much to offer as a tourist destina-
tion. The strategy was successful and became the benchmark for other
New Zealand cities to follow; Dunedin was branded as the place where
it's all right here, including excellence in education, culture and natural
heritage. The city offers a unique blend of interesting historic buildings,
comprising a mix of architectural styles (Baroque, Victorian, Edwardian)
and a strong Scottish identity, but at the time of research (2003) no
formal trail had been developed. The city council often battled with the
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