Cultural Routes and Heritage Trails - Tourism and Trails: Cultural, Ecological and Management Issues - page 36

Case Study: The Way of St James (Camino De Santiago De
Compostela) ( Continued )
route; it is also a significant heritage trail for cultural tourists who tra-
verse it for its scenery, its rural landscapes and the villages and towns
through which it passes (Santos, 2002).
A number of private organizations have been working to help pre-
serve and promote the Camino, with the most salient of these being the
Friends of the Way Associations, numbering more than 150 throughout
the world. Their goal is to foster networks of inexpensive or free hostels,
food and information services, volunteers and research (Gonzáles, 2006).
Intentionally-built linear resources
As noted at the outset of this chapter, human-made linear innovations
have been created throughout history. Fortifications and political borders are
one ancient example. In the contemporary world, railways, highways and
canals developed as transportation corridors. Given the interesting heritages
associated with all of these linear features, many of them have become
important tourist trails.
Historic railways
Railway travel is a popular option in many parts of the world, including
Asia and Europe. However, in geographically large countries, such as Canada,
US and Australia, trains are much less popular as a long-distance transporta-
tion option. Rather, they have become important modes of travel where they
are in themselves a significant attraction (Loverseed, 1994). Transcontinental
train trips are for many passengers the ultimate holiday experience.
Heritage railways are another prevalent route-based tourist attraction. The
examples illustrated in Table 2.2 reveal the extent of their global appeal. Histo-
rically, these have gained considerable popularity since the 1970s, after many
railways fell into disuse and dereliction. With this trend, conservation groups,
railway hobby enthusiasts and volunteer organizations began to protect exist-
ing lines and restore others that had fallen into disrepair (Conlin & Bird, 2014;
Prideaux, 1999). Historic railways were not originally linear heritage attrac-
tions. They were constructed for the transportation of raw materials from
mines and forests to processing plants, manufactured products from factories
to markets, or human passengers to their destinations. The attractiveness of
historic railways derives from the uniqueness of the old-fashioned machinery,
the reputation of well-known rail routes, and the natural and cultural land-
scapes through which they meander (Henderson, 2011; Orbaşli & Woodward,
2008; Rhoden et al. , 2009; Timothy, 2011a). Certain long-distance rail routes
that served as crucial transport corridors in the past have become very nostal-
gic heritage ways for pleasure or adventure travelers today (Loverseed, 1994).