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as the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, Hadrian's Wall, various historic railways
or the Great Wall of China, most certainly will see a boost in visitation as
new markets are exposed.
As for the possible futures of impacts, there is little evidence to suggest
these will alter dramatically as physical impacts are a consequence of levels
of use. It is possible that certain types of trails and those that are highly
accessible to large markets and have been positioned as integral to the tour-
ism attractions of particular regions will be more ecologically impacted. This
in turn will result in certain trails and routes receiving more management
attention to address ecological damage, ensure they offer social benefits for
users and remain economically viable.
It may be fair to suggest that there will be little difference between 'prob-
able future' and 'possible future' of trails as noted above. Trails and routes
will unlikely take on any new prominence as recreation and tourism spaces,
as most future demand for travel will remain based upon the destinations as
a whole, where linear corridors may be only a part of the total experience. It
is possible, however, that as people in the Western world become more nos-
talgic and reflective of their own personal and familial heritages (Timothy,
2008) route-based journeys with strong personal meanings may increase.
Inorganic routes created deliberately for leisure and tourism will probably
remain strong from the probable futures perspective. Levels of participation
on urban routes and short-distance trails will probably grow, especially as
technology-based interpretive tools and guides become a more normative
part of the holiday or recreational experience.
As regards administration, it is probable that less rural and wilderness
trails will experience heavy levels of regimentation, and there will be more
reliance on self-monitoring of appropriate behavior and conduct. Urban
routes will be easier to manage as they might involve fewer stakeholders and
can withstand higher levels of use than their wilderness counterparts can.
Finally, in thinking of 'preferable futures', trails and routes have the
potential to play an increased role in slow travel, particularly making use of
walking and cycling as recreational and tourist activities. Equally, leisure
linear corridors have the potential to be pivotal in the development of com-
munity-driven tourism where destinations benefit both socially and eco-
nomically from their development and where they too become empowered
stakeholders with a say in how trails are designed and managed. It would be
naïve of us to think that trails and routes will become more prominent as
recreation and tourism spaces in a preferable futures scenario, although they
might in a limited number of circumstances. At best they should remain an
important element in the landscapes that are already enjoyed by outdoor
enthusiasts and tourists.
An emerging way of looking at tourism and leisure is from a transforma-
tional perspective, where transformational experiences embrace travel and
recreation that focus on the body (e.g. adventure travel, health and medical
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