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ABSTRACT
The 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.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Notes on contributors
Kobi Cohen-Hattab (PhD) is a Senior lecturer at Bar-Ilan University. His main research interests are historical geography of tourism, tourism in historical towns, holy sites, and the development of seaside resorts.
Alon Gelbman (PhD) is a Senior Lecturer and Head of the Department of Tourism and Hotel Management at Kinneret College on the Sea of Galilee, Israel. He is a Cultural Geographer and his research interests include international tourism and geopolitical borders, tourism and peace, urban/rural tourism and hosts–guests relationships.
Noam Shoval is a professor of Geography at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His main research interests are urban geography and planning, urban tourism, and the implementation of advanced tracking technologies in various areas of spatial research such as tourism and urban studies and medicine.