Participatory development of eco-cultural trails for sustainable tourism

Trail development might cause negative environmental impacts on landscapes, which have a negative effect on trail visitors’ experience. Moreover, eco-cultural trail destination governance necessitates coordinated development and
management of all landscape elements, emphasizing and protecting cultural and natural assets. Participatory trail development and management facilitates policy integration, enables consensus-building and assists in resolving
frequently occurring stakeholder conflicts. This research aims to provide a sustainable strategy for developing and managing eco-cultural trails, applying a qualitative approach and stakeholder participation. The “Seven Hanging Valleys” trail located in the Algarve region of Portugal was used as a case study to develop an eco-cultural trail development strategy. A multi-stage qualitative approach and a stakeholder analysis were used to define the strategic dimensions of the eco-cultural trail development and management. Focus groups were conducted involving stakeholders representing governmental agencies, private enterprises, academic experts, interested citizens, and environmental organizations.
Quantitative survey data obtained from trail attribute performance measurement was analyzed using descriptive statistics (...)