Zum Image des Wanderers in Deutschland – Spießig oder doch irgendwie modern?

Like many other outdoor activities, hiking has become increasingly important for vacations and leisure time. In the course of this development, it is postulated that hiking has undergone a positive image change. While hiking was perceived as a boring activity for older people between the 1970s and the 1990s, it is now increasingly associated with terms such as ‚modern‘, ‚young‘ and ‚in‘. However, there is a lack of empirical data on the image of hiking in this discussion. The aim of this article is to examine sympathy, image attributes and associations from the perspective of the German population in relation to hikers or people who set out on foot. The study thus closes a research gap and shows that the image of the hiker in Germany is generally positive, but that attributes such as ‚young‘ or ‚modern‘ are not present in the collective image of Germans to the extent that is often portrayed. Even if a change in the perception of hikers cannot be empirically proven due to a lack of comparative data, the results support the thesis of the frequently communicated image change in the area of hiking. In addition, the results provide valuable information, particularly with regard to addressing visitors and prospective target groups in specific destinations.