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Nature, challenge and quality of experience motivate long-distance hiking.
Emotions while hiking reinforce positive attitudes towards the activity and the destination.
Hikers have different motives - from competition to community.
The perception of a destination depends heavily on the emotional hiking experience.
Summary of this study
The study examines why people are enthusiastic about long-distance hiking (LDH), what their expectations are and how these factors influence their attitudes towards hiking and the places they visit. In particular, the role of emotions is emphasized.
Essentially, the study shows that expectations of the sporting experience - such as the experience of nature or the sporting challenge - have a significant influence on the motivation of hikers. The motivations for long-distance hiking are diverse and range from a competitive spirit and the desire to show off, to the need for sociability and testing one's own limits.
This motivation in turn has an impact on how positively hikers perceive and evaluate both the activity itself and the hiking destinations they visit.
It also shows that emotions play a central role: They influence how strongly motivation shapes attitudes towards hiking and the destination. Positive emotions during hiking reinforce this connection and ensure that motivation has an even stronger influence on hikers' attitudes towards the activity and the destination.
Findings of this study
- Expectations drive motivation.
Expectations of the experience of nature, challenge and quality of experience are key drivers for long-distance hikers and directly influence their motivation to participate. - Emotions reinforce attitudes.
Positive emotions while hiking strengthen the link between motivation and a positive attitude towards the activity and the destination. - Diverse motives require diversity in the offer.
Long-distance hikers are not homogeneous: they are looking for competition, self-expression, community or personal borderline experiences - offers should reflect this diversity. - Destination experience shapes perception.
Attitudes towards a destination are strongly influenced by the quality of the hiking experience. Expectations of landscape, nature and challenge must be met. - Emotions as a success factor in tourism marketing.
Emotions are not just reactions, but key success factors for the design and marketing of hiking experiences and influence long-term loyalty to the destination. - Active sports tourists think in terms of experiences.
Long-distance hikers regard their activities as serious leisure activities and consciously invest time, planning and energy in an intensive experience.