Sustainable tourism in practice: Trails and tourism. Critical management issues of multi-use trails

Abstract

This paper considers the management practices and implications of running multiple activities on tracks and trails on public land, particularly in terms of social sustainability. This is more than simply managing the environment, as it relates to attitudinal understanding, management and influence in a social context. Based on research in North America and Australia, the case of horseback riders and walkers is examined. It is proposed that multi-use trails can be successfully managed by integrating trail management strategies, persuasive communication theories and marketing as tools in relation to the social elements of these two, often conflicting, activities.