Assessing trails and potential for hiking tourism in northern Portugal

Abstract

Outdoor activities, and in particular hiking activities, are amongst most significant tourism offer in many destinations, becoming even more relevant as COVID-19 pandemic hits Europe. Tourists are increasingly keen to travel to natural, rural and undertourism destinations, with a particular interest on Protected Areas (PAs). In order to provide extraordinary outdoor experiences, as hiking, a diversity of trails with certain infrastructure and general conditions, is critical. Yet, little research has focused on evaluating the existing conditions on a systematic approach, and based on specific assessment instruments. This paper aims at building upon this research gap, by proposing the assessment of the trails and the potential for hiking activities, in Northern Portugal, a tourism destination increasingly known for its natural and green landscape, especially vacacioned for outdoor activities. Given their well preserved landscapes, and natural and cultural resources, protected areas lend themselves as preferred settings for outdoor activities. Therefore, a comparison of existing conditions, inside and outside PAs will be performed. The assessment matrix employed in this study is original and innovative, constructed based on the analysis of related literature, but mostly with contributions from various professionals of outdoor tourism activities. The results of the assessment process are discussed and opportunities for improvement are identified.