In an increasingly urbanized world more and more people are turning to our forests and woodland for recreation and tourism. Planning and providing for this growing demand poses challenges that need to be addressed by managers and designers alike.
Based on a study of forest recreation from across Europe, the editors bring together the expertise of more than eighty leading professionals and academics to provide a clear and concise guide to best practice. Case studies and careful research give a detailed insight into the issues that forest recreation raises, from strategic planning to integration into the existing rural economy. This chapter, being the first in Part Ill, is intended
to demonstrate how the materials presented
primarily in Part II can be applied to the strategic
aspects of recreation and nature tourism
planning in Europe. As well as the aspects
brought from Part II, other requirements and
issues will also be covered such as the likely
effect of different drivers of leisure and
recreation that are currently affecting society
across Europe and are likely to set the scene
for the next couple of decades, as discussed
in Chapter I. Likewise, the ways that people
participate in forest recreation and nature
tourism vary from one European region to
another, based on a number of factors which
together can be called 'forest culture'. Given
the benefits and values of recreation identified
and demonstrated in Chapter 2 in Part I, it is also
worth examining how strateg1c planning can
use the evidence of these in order to target
supply of recreation where there is likely to be
most benefit to society.
