El fenómeno senderista en España. Análisis por un panel de expertos

The hiker phenomenon in Spain. Analysis by an expert panel. Hiking has become one of the most important physical and recreational activities in our society. Practical approaches outperform motivations for entering sports tourism objectives, quality of life, non-motorized mobility and rural development, to name a few. Furthermore, hiking supports related activities (hiking, walking, trekking, walk, ...) and coexists well with other complementary practices (trail running, via ferrata, mountain bike, horse riding, ...) that make it a real social phenomenon. Facing an activity of this scale and significance, we found little research areas where walking is the primary and specific object of study. In the words of Rome, "imposed ignorance" (2009, p.10) in an activity that is set to be a key social actor. Our thesis would be justified before this need for scientific input into hiking. This work is part of an exploratory phase that has spanned the hiker phenomenon of a global and integrated way, recognizing that many topics discussed here require more specific research. The main objective of the study is to characterize different views from the hiker phenomenon in Spain as sport, economic, social and organizational manifestation; enabling understanding, at par, the foundation for future research are created. In the methodology section, we opted for a qualitative approach with in-depth interviews individually and in groups to a panel of experts. The design included a nonrandom sample format "Snowball" that has led us to conduct extensive interviews with 21 experts from different approaches walkers. The results after analyzing, coding and categorizing the transcripts led us to organize the data into nine thematic blocks with many sub-themes: 1 Research in hiking. 2 The information in Sendero practice. 3. hiker practitioner. 4 The institutions that manage trails. 5 gigs walkers projects. 6 Hiking and socioeconomic development. 7 medium. 8 References walkers in Spain. 9 The Spanish walker model and references to other countries. After contrasting our results with current scientific references, we have drawn conclusions as a Decalogue that specify the contributions of our study the hiker phenomenon. Among them include:  Current social and economic relevance of hiking is not accompanied by an intellectual and academic analysis accordingly. Especially absent are the college.  The digital age, in its various manifestations, is imposed between all actors hiker phenomenon (developers and users). The new technologies of information and communication technologies (internet, social networking, GPS or online efforts) are presented as key issues for future projects walkers. They are essential in the promotion and marketing, security issues in mountain training in the control flow and the dissemination of life styles of walkers.  Walkers groups are increasingly heterogeneous and diversified federation confirms that non-walkers are now a majority. Hikers with mountaineering links that are knowledgeable of the federal entramando and new walkers unrelated to mountaineering which are outside the federal model two generic groups of practitioners with different evolutions are appreciated.  The type of walkers promoters are in a time of evolution and change. Traditional promotion from associations, clubs and federations has been relegated by the institutional public advocacy, trained to develop unique projects with walkers economic requirements that require entities. The traditional mountain clubs are in a deep crisis and for federations mountain high presence but no longer appreciated his critical views walker model.  The magnitude of profiles that are entering the hiking requires management to specialize. There is therefore a need to define and analyze other models federative not to offer alternatives to the promoters.  Hiking is one of the tourist product that has grown in Spain, therefore we need to realize and define a tourist-walker model itself.  Stereotypes and classic landscape preferences have a real influence on the choice of practice spaces, though, are incorporated tackles other phenomena such as urban-suburban hiking, "Hiking in islands" or hiking on the coast.  There are regional differences in the magnitude and presence of Shining Path phenomenon. Although the trend is at par, are still apparent North-South differences.  International walkers alternative models that appointments to Spanish as most important references are the Swiss, German, French, Canadian and English. This thesis has attempted to provide contrasting elements of reflection but is aware of the limitations of an initial exploratory study like ours, thereby anticipating future research on some of the issues that we have seen as priority and further:  Case studies from projects featured cruises and hiking circuits.  Linking and characterization of hiking with concepts of "No Motorized Mobility" and "Pedestrian Mobility."  The theming as an argument walkers projects.  The notion and characterization brand walkers tourist oriented projects.  The urban and suburban projects walkers. Search and analyze cities and landmark projects both nationally and internationally.