ABSTRACT
This chapter examines hikers and non-hikers in Iceland and analyses differences in their characteristics and behaviours, as well as comparing their satisfaction levels, preferences with respect to infrastructure, and experiences of crowding and of the environment. Hikers consider all kinds of roads, bridges across rivers, hotels, cooked food for sale, gas stations, visitor centres and power plants less appropriate than non-hikers. Hikers are also more in favour of mountain huts and campsites than non-hikers. Designed footpaths, walkways, picnic places and markings on places of interest are more important to non-hikers than hikers. However, hikers tend to perceive the areas as safer, more natural and more accessible than non-hikers. Overall, hikers comprised 11% of tourists in the areas where interviews were conducted. Hikers were generally more common in the Highlands, at 40% of visitors, than in the Lowlands, where they constituted only 6%.
