Abstract
The present study aims to clarify the relationship between randonneuring and tourism in the Massif Central in France using tourist referencing of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes as a case study. Route maintenance by the Fédération Française de la Randonnée Pédestre was an opportunity for the establishment of the Stevenson Trail, which was realized by the association Sur le Chemin de R. L. Stevenson. As a form of alternative tourism, the main purpose of the Stevenson Trail was not to generate profit for the Association but to local development. For its part, the Association achieved financial stability through subsidies from the EU, French, and local governments. Meanwhile, randonneuring tourists were motivated by the opportunity for self-discovery amid cultural exposure and images. Tourists were mostly driven to join a randonneuring of the Cévennes by a desire to explore unseen land and take in the terroir of mountain villages. The Stevenson Trail is considered as a type of tourism activity that enables randonneuring tourists to interact with culture, nature, and terroir.
