From Landscape to Legacy: Developing an Integrated Hiking Route with Cultural Heritage and Environmental Appeal Through Spatial Analysis

İsmet Sarıbal, Mesut Çoşlu () and Serdar Selim
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İsmet Sarıbal: Department of International Relations, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Çankırı Karatekin University, 18200 Çankırı, Türkiye
Mesut Çoşlu: Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, 15200 Burdur, Türkiye
Serdar Selim: Department of Space Sciences and Technologies, Faculty of Science, Akdeniz University, 07070 Antalya, Türkiye

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 15, 1-16

Abstract: This study aimed to re-evaluate a historical war supply route within the context of cultural tourism, to revitalize its natural, historical, and cultural values, and to integrate it with existing hiking and trekking routes. Remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS) technologies were utilized, and land surveys were conducted to support the analysis and validate the existing data. Data for slope, one of the most critical factors for hiking route selection, were generated, and the optimal route between the starting and destination points was identified using least cost path analysis (LCPA). Historical, touristic, and recreational rest stops along the route were mapped with precise coordinates, and both the existing and the newly generated routes were assessed in terms of their accessibility to these points. Field validation was carried out based on the experiences of expert hikers. According to the results, the length of the existing hiking route was determined to be 15.72 km, while the newly developed trekking route measured 17.36 km. These two routes overlap for 7.75 km, with 9.78 km following separate paths in a round-trip scenario. It was concluded that the existing route is more suitable for hiking, whereas the newly developed route is better suited for trekking.

Keywords: alternative tourism; environmental assets; historical path; least cost path analysis; trekking route (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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