Rail trails have been developed in Australia along disused railway lines, providing active, experiential opportunities for cyclists, walkers and some horse riders. While much of the planning of these trails relates to the physical aspects, this study considers the actual visitor experience in terms of their assessment of quality. In an attempt to quantify issues surrounding the planning of these trails in relation to the tourist experience, this study focuses on the major user group of these trails, cyclists. The outcomes support the premise that long distance rail trails require careful planning and design in the service delivery as well as the physical infrastructure.

This chapter examines the ways in which teaching and training in tourism, hospitality and events have evolved and adapted to the contemporary demands of academia and industry. It explores the development of education in tourism, hospitality and events, the contemporary factors which influence teaching and learning, and discusses the rise of Massive Open Online Courses with a particular focus on their potential application within tourism, hospitality and events curriculum. The chapter concludes by providing an overview of Open Badges and their importance in education. At the time of writing, the world has been confronted by the Covid-19 global pandemic which has caused great disruption at all levels. The impact of Covid-19 is briefly addressed in this chapter as the enforcement of social distancing measures has led to a significant increase globally in online education.

Today, more and more people are travelling than ever before, with 1.5 billion international tourist arrivals recorded in 2019 and the forecasted 1.8 billion international arrivals set to be reached well before its predicted 2030 (UNWTO, 2019; 2020). Traditionally, the wealthier industrialised world has predominately been responsible for both the supply and demand of tourism. However, in recent years a gradual shift has occurred with new destinations beginning to challenge these traditional destinations. There is the expectation that 57% of all international tourist arrivals will be in emerging destinations by 2030 (UNWTO, 2017). The rise of the middle class has resulted in more of the world’s population gaining access to leisure time and the means to increased international travel. Travel experiences in the past have typically consisted of sun, sand and surf type holidays. Tourists are no longer content with these passive activities, rather seeking more experiential and engaging travel experiences instead. This suggests a change in demand from the mass tourism holidays of the 1970s and 1980s to more individualised tourist experiences (Sharpley, 2005). Drivers of change contributing to these changes in travel demand include increased globalisation along with a variety of economic, social, political, technological and environmental trends (Dwyer et al., 2008). Chapter 2 discusses the key drivers of change, along with several trends considered to have an impact on the future development of the international tourism industry. This chapter explores some of these trends further in the context of future tourist behaviour, namely smart tourism, virtual tourism, smart boredom, super sabbaticals and solo travellers.

Examines influential factors such as the demographic, political, economic and technological changes, which will affect the nature, trends and participation in tourism, hospitality and events.

This chapter introduces the global sustainable development agenda and outlines the UN Sustainable Development Goals framework which is made up of 17 goals to be achieved by 2030. This global framework is offered as a lens through which sustainable development in the context of tourism is being implemented and measured. This is contrasted with responsible tourism, which is framed as the set of processes and mechanisms through which sustainable development is being pursued. The case study of iSimangaliso Wetland Park in South Africa at the end of the chapter consolidates the key ideas from the chapter through highlighting the role that tourism plays in changing and shaping the socio-cultural and environmental fabric of societies, and sustainable approaches to addressing these changes today and in the future.