IMAGE: GETTY
hiking | special interest
Mount Kilimanjaro
of life ALL WALKS
Walking-based activities are proving to be a favorite among US travelers and abilities, says Andrew Eames
THIS HAS BEEN the year of the hiker movie. In January, we had Reese Witherspoon in Wild, taking on the Pacific Crest Trail. In September, Robert Redford and Nick Nolte went out on the Appalachian Trail for A Walk in the Woods. Both movies will have a big impact on local hiker numbers, but what about the overall picture? Although the size of the market isn’t quantified,
surveys conducted by the Adventure Trade and Travel Association and Outside magazine both agree the most popular activity for US adventure travelers is exploring on foot. However, the hiking component isn’t
necessarily booked up in advance, as Alistair Butchers from G Adventures explains: “We find people travel to exclusively hike a specific trail
or mountain that’s on their bucket list, but we also see guests opting for hiking as an optional activity. You don’t necessarily have to be a hardcore fitness junkie to do so either”. Liz Einbinder from Backroads agrees. “Some
people seek out active hiking trips and have traveled on many of our offers, whereas others want to see a specific destination and choose our trips as a great way to experience an area. We always choose scenic and interesting route, whether it be a walk through vineyards or a hike through the hills to a charming town. We include cultural elements as well, which could be an olive oil tasting or a sheep shearing demonstration.” Popular destinations are Peru’s Inca Trail and Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro, plus Nepal, Patagonia
and Mont Blanc. Coming up are the likes of Turkey’s Lycian Way and the Landmanalaugar Trail in Iceland (G Adventures), along with Cuba, Colombia and Biarritz to Bilbao (Backroads). Beside the US-based operators with their
large menu of offerings, there are also locally- based operators in popular destinations — specialists who know the trails intimately. Tey include Greenways Travel Club, whose best-selling offerings are Vienna to Prague and Budapest to Krakow. Slow Tours Romania offers hiking in Transylvania, Maramures and Bucovina, regions that feature hiking for weeks without meeting any fence or other barrier. Operators are bullish about the future. Liz
Einbinder from Backroads suggests the 100th anniversary of the US national park system in 2016 will be a big force in promoting domestic travel. Meanwhile, the continuing strength of the dollar against the euro will boost European travel too. u
fall 2015 | ASTAnetwork | 97
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140