Some hikers need only a space on the floor where they can spread out their sleeping bag in the evening. But there are others who belong in a different class, one that has grown over the past few years. These hikers value luxury and don't want to overnight in youth hostels or small private rooms.

Professor Heinz-Dieter Quack of the European Tourism Institute in Trier, Germany, separates hikers into the "old" and the "new."

"The 'old' are more modest -- for them hiking is like an easy competitive sport in which sociability counts," he said. "The new clientele is conscious of prestige and quality and doesn't want any physical challenges. Rather, people in this group are interested in experiencing nature, calmness and seclusion."

The "new" hikers favour treks that are a maximum of 15 kilometres at a time and small groups. "For the 'old' group, it's sufficient to offer a well sign-posted path with a hut at the other end that has a small bed in it," said Quack. "Meanwhile, 'new' hikers "make the same demands on their hiking holiday as they do when they take a beach holiday on the Canaries."

In contrast to earlier times, hiking vacations are no longer the cheaper alternatives to flying somewhere on vacation, said Sven Buechler of Germany's hiking association based in Kassel. "Today, two weeks on Mallorca can be much cheaper than spending the same amount of time at home."

People who hike in the Eifel or the Bavarian forest choose to do that. Such locations are often linked with higher requirements. Many top hotels are positioning themselves to cater to hikers.

Susanne Leder, who works in the hiking region of Muellerthal in Luxembourg, has made the same observation.

"The requirements have changed immensely," she said. "Far different people than before are taking hiking trips today. They are younger, they are more educated and they spend more money."

It's no longer about looking at trees and flowers, rather it's about allowing your soul to "dangle," added Leder, who wrote her doctoral thesis on the new must-haves in tourism. It's important to achieve a psychological balance with the pace of the work day. To that end, many hikers want to relax in a hotel, possibly taking advantage of spa programmes.

As a result, hiking regions must now offer more than a footpath through the boonies. This might include more exciting experiences such as a hanging bridge or a barefoot path, things that many of the new premium hiking organizations are adopting. Leder expects hiking will be more commonly combined with offers that go beyond classic spa offerings in future.

"It can range from yoga courses to personal coaching," she said. "This creates a new chance for tourism regions and hotels to win over vacationers."

Andreas Kleinwaechter, marketing director of the national park in Austria's Kaernten region, also has noticed the trend toward luxury hiking experiences.
Mountain hikers are no longer people who sleep in campers overnight and pack themselves a few cold meat sandwiches for lunch, he said. Hotels in Kaernten are offering things aimed at meeting the expectations of the new type of hiker. "Hikers do not disrupt the atmosphere of four-star hotels," he said. "They don't wear their hiking boots into the dining room."

But in the Alps, at least, luxury hikers must accept what's there.

"Along most of the paths through the high mountains, there are and always have been only huts to sleep in," said Kleinwaechter. "There are no four-star hotel there and you can't have a car bring your luggage up. That's actually what makes it special."
 
DPA with Expatica