Hiking as a relevant wellness activity - results of an exploratory study of hiking tourists in Portugal applied to a rural tourism project

Abstract

New forms of tourism are gaining ground throughout the world. Nowadays, successful tourism destinations must offer variety and new tourism products, addressing special interest niches. One increasingly popular tourism product is health and wellness tourism. The wellness concept typically integrates physical activity combined with relaxation of the mind and intellectual stimulus, enhancing well-being through a balance of the body, mind and spirit. Promoting well-being is a relevant motive of most tourists and should be regarded in any tourism marketing strategy. Hiking is an appropriate activity to integrate in a wellness tourism context, being since long a strategically developed recreational and tourism activity in many European countries. In the present study we show the results of an exploratory survey of hikers in Portugal and discuss possible implications on planning and management of rural tourism destinations, with emphasis on the creation of integrated wellness products. Results were used for developing a more holistic tourism offer within the European Network of Village Tourism.

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“…This study suggests both males and females are interested in sport tourism. Similar findings in terms of relatively equal numbers of males and females have been identified in other sport tourism studies namely hiking tourist's sample, marine sport tourism, active and passive sport tourist in Malaysia (Rodrigues, Kastenholz & Rodrigues, 2010;Chang & Hsu, 2012;Yusof et al, 2012). However it contradicts with some studies which suggest the majority of sport tourists were males (Allman et al, 2009;Dixon et al, 2012;Musa et al, 2010) or females (Kim, Noh & Jogaratnam, 2007, Aziz, Musa & Sulaiman, 2010Rinaldi et al, 2013).…”

The sensory dimension of tourist experiences: Capturing meaningful sensory-informed themes in Southwest Portugal

“…With respect to the haptic sense, the sensory impressions concern wind and coolness. Activities such as surfing, hiking, and trekking are suggested as potentiating these sensory impressions, which seem to be related more to spirituality and mindfulness than those reported previously (Rodrigues et al, 2010;Sharpley & Jepson, 2011;Tung & Ritchie, 2011). In the context of rural settings, the sounds pertaining to nature help to activate the aural sense; silence is especially appreciated since it means an absence of urban noise (Daugstad, 2008;Pan & Ryan, 2009).…”

“…Similarly to the segment related to a "rural tourism experience," the travel motive of having a rural lifestyle experience is related to the perception of this sensory-informed theme. In previous studies, bundles including the color green and the sound of animals are labeled as outdoor and scenic/nature-related themes (Gretzel & Fesenmaier, 2003), evincing the importance of experiencing nature in rural settings (Rodrigues, Kastenholz, & Rodrigues, 2010).…”

“…It is worth noting that surf tourism is a growing nature-related activity that, if correctly managed, could become an attractive niche market contributing to local sustainable development (Buckley, 2002). Similarly, hiking-related activities have the particular characteristic of bolstering both the therapeutic benefits of nature, contributing to a balanced state of body, spirit, and mind, as well as rural development (Rodrigues et al, 2010). In this respect, the destination marketing organizations operating in the Southwest Portugal region, such as the Alentejo and Algarve Tourism Boards, and the non-profit association Casas Brancas, responsible for a network approach to rural tourism offerings in the area, should concert their efforts in order to analyze the sensory-informed themes/segments that best fit the goals of the destination, considering the interests of tourists, the community, and the tourism industry.…”

Who are wild enough to hike a wilderness trail?

“…Among the variety and diversity of ecotourism activities, hiking is one of the most popular and enjoyable ones (Fromme et al, 2007;Rodrigues, Kastenholz & Rodrigues, 2010). According to Lynn and Brown (2003), the most rapidly developing activities are associated with trail use, resulting in many natural areas providing outdoor recreational opportunities such as hiking trails.…”