Walking Tourist: Review of Research to Date

Abstract

One of the most common activities among tourists is walking, providing visitors with a range of different experiences of the places they visit. These experiences can vary, depending on the time of the year, weather, and, most importantly, the motivations of the individual. Much attention has gone into understanding the ways in which built and natural environments create opportunities for people to walk. However, the motivations and walking behaviors of tourists can differ from those of local residents. This paper explores walkability by adopting a systematic review of literature on different databases. The descriptive theme is focused on the general importance of walkability and four major themes on tourist walking studies are identified. The findings from the studies and their limitations point toward a need for further study, with a focus on local residents and tourists in order to understand whether there are differences and to understand the attributes that may affect their walking behaviors and experiences.