The Walking Tourist: Talking the Walk

Most of our journeys start and end with a walk, and its ubiquitous practice has made it both a physical and a social activity. Every street provides a unique experience, whether for a local walking in their own neighbourhood or for a visitor strolling the streets of a city or town they are visiting. Simply looking can give a special pleasure, no matter how common place the sight might be. Walking is known to be a healthy and sustainable way of moving about the city, particularly in comparison with motorised forms of transport. For these and other reasons, there is a growing interest amongst urban planners and policy makers in enhancing conditions for walkers.

Tourists are a distinct category of walker and may have different views on what makes a good walking environment. However, there are only a limited number of studies that have examined walkability from a tourist perspective, even though walking is a fundamental and significant activity that most tourists engage in. The lack of evidence on tourists’ perceptions and behaviours in walkability research poses a significant challenge in designing urban environments that can cater to the needs and preferences of a diverse range of people. To elucidate this issue, this research addressed the question of how visitors perceive and evaluate the city they are visiting when they walk. This research was motivated by a working hypothesis that the walking behaviour of tourists is different from that of local residents and that factors that enable or constrain tourists’ desires to walk are different from those affecting local residents. An empirical study was conducted in two cities in New Zealand: Christchurch and Wellington. Both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered in an A5 size Walk Diary with Likert scale scoring of walking attributes, developed through a research framework, and an A3 map for respondents’ comments. A convenience sampling method was used, and 132 locals and tourists evaluated the environment during a walk. The findings reveal that tourists faced numerous challenges in both cities that were not perceived by locals, thus highlighting the importance of considering both locals and tourists and their familiarity with the environment when evaluating walking experiences. The study also identified attributes, such as thermal conditions and the presence of unleashed dogs, that were not captured by the research framework but that emerged through the qualitative comments, thereby strengthening the research framework for future studies of a similar nature. By highlighting the differences in walking experiences between locals and tourists, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the complex dynamics of urban mobility. The findings offer valuable insights for urban planners and policymakers in designing inclusive and pedestrian-friendly environments that can meet the diverse needs of both residents and tourists. Ultimately, the study underscores the significance of considering the unique perspectives of tourists in shaping urban spaces that promote enjoyable, accessible, and sustainable walking experiences for all.