A new study from the US has revealed that
backpacker travel insurance customers and other hikers are more likely to become supporters of woodland and environmental groups than other tourists.
According to researchers at the University of Illinois, the amount of time spent on backpacking trips in natural settings correlated with a willingness to donate money to conservation charities in later life.
Surprisingly, the more time spent fishing or sightseeing in the countryside, the less people were willing to offer funding.
Commenting on the findings, one of the study's authors Patricia Zaradic, director of the Red Rock Institute in Pennsylvania, said: "Apparently not all outdoor recreation is equal in terms of who is going to be an investor in conservation."
She warned that a decline in the number of people going on serious hiking trips could be bad news for environmental charities as they may face a future funding shortfall.
In related news, voluntary organisation American Hiking is currently calling for donations to help tackle forest fires.
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