From ideological space to recreational tourism: the Israeli forest |
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| Authors: | Kobi Cohen-Hattab Alon Gelbman Noam Shoval |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israelcohenko@biu.ac.il;3. Department of Tourism and Hotel Management, Kinneret College on the Sea of Galilee, Kinneret, Israel;4. Department of Geography and the Institute for Urban and Regional Studies, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel |
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| Abstract: | ABSTRACTThe forest as a leisure, recreation, and tourist space is growing in significance as part of nature-based tourism. It contributes to social and economic development, particularly in light of the global trend for more recreation and tourism in developed and developing countries. The main aim of this paper is to describe and analyze the evolution of forest development policy and its implications for the function of the forest as a recreation and leisure space, using an Israeli case study. The methodology is based on historic-geographic research to analyze forest tourism over time and into the present. The study finds that the spatial processes that took place over nearly a century in Israel transformed its forests from expressions of an ideology to spaces dedicated to leisure, recreation, and tourism. |
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| Keywords: | Forest leisure recreation Israel nature-based tourism ecotourism |
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