HOW DESTINATION MANAGERS CAN MAXIMISE VISITOR ECONOMY BENEFITS FROM EXISTING AND NEW RECREATION TRAILS
By Linda Tillman, Kushla Gale and Rowan Lamont
In recent years there has been a boom in the construction of recreational trails as their ability to draw significant numbers of high-value visitors to regional destinations has been recognised. Rather than using a‘ build it and they will come’ approach, the significant investment into trail construction should be proactively leveraged for maximum economic and social benefit for host communities.
Recreational trails include
• Bushwalking and hiking trails
• Cycling trails, including mountain bike trails
• Water-based trails such as kayak trails
• Motorsports trails such as dirt bike trails
• Shared-use trails such as rail trails which are used for horse-riding, trail running, walking, and cycling.
Trails are used in a variety of ways, from day visits and multi-day visits to longdistance travel such as self-sustained longdistance hikes and bike packing. 1
EVER GROWING DEMAND FOR TRAILS While there are many types of trail users, a quick review of just two user types: hikers and cyclists, reveal the tourism opportunity of trails.
Bushwalking is the third most popular activity in Australia out of over 140 activities. 2 Participation in bushwalking increased by 68 % in Australia from 2022- 23 to 2023-24, meaning 17 % of Australians now bushwalk. 3 However, a full one third of travellers are interested in hiking and walking experiences. 4
One quarter of travellers are interested in cycling experiences. 5 Gravel road cycling 6 is the fastest growing cycling discipline, particularly for female riders, with
55 % year on year growth in participation in 2023. 7 In Australia, more people ride mountain bikes on any given weekend than play football! 8
What all trail users have in common is a desire to connect with nature. In the past ten years, nature-based activities in the outdoors have seen growth in demand of almost 50 %. 9 This even applies to mountain bikers who you might imagine are seeking thrills and adrenaline, but‘ being in nature’ and‘ being in nature with friends’ are their primary motivators. 10
The technology that people are adopting to enhance their trail experiences is further increasing trail demand. Electric bikes allow a broader variety of people to experience trails; lightweight equipment is making trail walking easier; and navigational aids are allowing more people to explore new places. Such advances
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