Trails of History and Nature Developing ecological & cultural materials for an ecotourism network on the Aegean Island of Naxos

Abstract

The Cycladic Islands of Greece are a world-premier ecotourism destination that is, unfortunately, experiencing the unfettered impacts of mass tourism, and yet could be an ideal site for more sustainable ecotourism. Specifically, the island of Naxos is located within a major global biodiversity hotspot. It offers a beautiful, topographically diverse landscape, numerous endemic species, various cultural and historical resources, and opportunities for hiking ecotourism along ancient trails across the island. Despite these rich resources, hiking tourism and its potential benefits for the local communities still need to be developed on Naxos, mainly because little information is publicly available to entice, inform, and guide visitors. Thus, to increase hiking ecotourism, this project created effective educational materials that not only allow for improved navigation of the trails but also feature the ecological, cultural, and tourism resources along the trail - from characteristic flora and fauna to Byzantine churches to restaurants and lodging along the way. Increased trail use then supports local vendors, allowing for more sustainable land use than livelihoods based on destructive coastal tourism or overgrazing by sheep, both typical on different parts of the island. The ten trail maps, descriptions, and supporting material we produced will be used in an existing mobile device application supported by the Hellenic Society for the Environment and Cultural Heritage and will contribute to producing a guidebook that visitors can purchase for self-guided hikes. This project provides a model for other ecotourism efforts in the Mediterranean and worldwide, where sustainable hiking activities can protect the rich cultural and ecological diversity that they feature while benefiting the people who offer services and goods to visiting hikers.