Abstract ID: 3.8385 | Not reviewed | Requested as: Poster | TBA | TBA

Marked trails, whether in in the mountains or in the lowlands support recreational sports like hiking, running, mountaineering, climbing and serve many other users. Trails connect people across countries in the same way as streets or railways and therefore serve an important function for European cohesion. Basically, walking, hiking, and mountain trails are footpaths in the public interest for the purpose of walking, running, or climbing, located in all landscapes, visible and clearly recognised in the terrain and are physically marked and signposted. Proper management is required to keep trails in appropriate condition which is done by national hiking and mountaineering associations which are represented by the European Union of Mountaineering Associations (EUMA) and the European Ramblers Association (ERA). Trails have a very important function for visitor guidance in each European country. They guide people with the help of markings and signposts through difficult terrain, complex landscapes, or environmentally sensitive areas. The latter is highly important since it helps people to stick to a certain route without damaging the nature. This function has become very important, especially since the demand for relaxation and exercise in nature has increased and amplified the pressure on nature in the last couple of years. Furthermore, in the last years constructing, designing and maintaining trails in a sustainable manner has become very important. Many trails in protected areas, sensitive regions and popular destinations are under pressure by over usage, changing requirements for new sports or wrong usage. New user based concepts and trail designs are needed to guarantee a long lasting durability of trails, epically mountain trails. A study which was conducted by EUMA and ERA in 30 European countries where data was retrieved from 37 leading hiking and mountaineering associations revealed results on existing national trail management systems. These comprise details about structure, costs, composition, legal status, and major obstacles for trails. From these rich data, recommendations for sustainable trail management where derived to develop a more nature sensitive approach to trails management.