Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
different formations and microclimates, although these tend to be highly
sensitive to tourist impacts (Pulido-Bosch et al. , 1997).
In the 1990s, the Ice and Fire Trail in New Zealand connected the geo-
logical features of the country (Hall et al. , 1993). A similar trail, the Fire and
Ice Trail, is located in the US state of Washington and focuses on the volca-
noes and glaciers of that state. The main emphasis of the Grand Canyon's
hiking trails is geology and the fluvial systems that formed the canyon.
There are now hundreds of important geotrails located throughout the world
in places where local geology has become of significant tourist interest
(Newsome et al. , 2012; Wrede & Mügge-Bartolović, 2012).
Forest canopy walks
One of the most popular activities undertaken by tourists in rainforest
ecosystems is canopy walks, or skywalks. These wood, rope and/or metal
suspended trails dangle from, or are affixed to, tree trunks, branches or poles,
at varying heights, allowing users to experience nature from different
vantage points. Understory walks allow people to view the ground and its
various flora and fauna from above and from a position within the lower
reaches of the jungle cover. Canopy, or emergent-layer, walkways allow visi-
tors to experience plant and animal life higher in the treetops and may pro-
vide extensive views over large swaths of rainforest.
At Blue Creek Nature Reserve, Belize, wood and aluminum walkways
cling to the forest canopy between 25 and 40 meters above the ground
(Hubbell, 1997). This vantage point allows visitors to view various tree and
plant species, as well as animal life. Built originally by biologists and other
researchers, this airborne path has become an important attraction for tour-
ists (Timothy & White, 1999). This type of track seems to be gaining popu-
larity throughout the world wherever rainforests are the focus of tourist
attention and can be found in Africa, Latin America and parts of Asia and
the Caribbean (Lowman, 2009; Seibel, 2013) (Figure 3.4). In a series of sus-
pended bridges connected by trails, the Sky Walk in Monteverde, Costa Rica,
provides opportunities for tourists, even guests with physical disabilities, to
experience the biodiversity of the cloud rainforests of Costa Rica. It consists
of seven suspended bridges between 80 and 300 meters long and a maximum
elevation of 46 meters. The higher Sky Trek (4.5 km in length) requires more
endurance ability and includes cross-canyon cables and a series of trails and
hanging bridges (Báez, 2002: 129).
Several interesting issues have emerged in recent years pertaining spe-
cifically to this type of nature trail. First, perhaps more than in any other kind
of trail system, forest canopy walks have become the focus of security con-
cerns among policymakers and tourism industry representatives. Some site
managers have begun requiring the use of hardhats and safety harnesses
(Hubbell, 1997), and most sites have now begun using building materials that
reduce slipping and falling. There have also been instances of parts of
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