On the Right Track: Local Stakeholder Perceptions of Trail Management Challenges and Opportunities in Gotland, Sweden

Sammanfattning

This study investigates stakeholder perceptions of trail management in Gotland, Sweden, aiming to identify challenges and opportunities within the island’s trail network. Drawing on trail management literature and stakeholder theory, it applies qualitative methods by conducting ten semi-structured interviews with stakeholders representing public agencies, trail managers, tourism businesses, and local communities. Five themes emerged: trail infrastructure and accessibility, volunteer-driven maintenance and stewardship, environmental impact and monitoring, marketing and visibility, and stakeholder coordination. Findings highlight significant progress in trail infrastructure and stakeholder communication; however, persistent challenges include fragmented governance, insufficient accessibility, inconsistent marketing, and inadequate environmental monitoring. Although volunteer-based stewardship is valuable, reliance on informal systems risks long-term sustainability. The absence of a permanent Trail Coordinator and a Destination Management Organization further complicates strategic planning and stakeholder integration. The study offers recommendations for strengthening governance structures, formalizing volunteer roles, improving marketing strategies, and introducing adaptive environmental monitoring, providing context-specific insights for Gotland and similar rural or peripheral destinations.