Digitalización del senderismo en España: Uso de aplicaciones móviles, preferencias y barreras percibidas

Introduction: Hiking became one of the most popular sports activities in Spain, driven by the growth of nature-basedtourism and the digitalisation of outdoor experiences. Mobile applica-tions emerged as tools that can influence hikers’ behaviour.Objective: The study aimed to analyse the differences between hikers who used mobile appli-cations and those who did not, identifying usage patterns across different phases of the route and the perceived barriers among those who did not use them.Methodology: A survey was conducted among 448 hikers in four natural parks in Spain, selected through non-probabilistic convenience sampling. Sociodemographic variables, experience, use of mobile applications, and perceived barriers were examined. The analysis included descrip-tive statistics(frequencies, means, and standard deviation) and inferential tests using the χ² test with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons (p ≤ .05). Additionally, effect size was calculated using Phi (Φ) for 2x2 tables and Cramer’sVfor larger tables.Results: A total of 62.9% of participants used mobile applications, mainly Wikiloc, Strava, and Google Maps, withhigher prevalence among individuals aged 26 to 45 and those with 11 to 20 years of experience. The primary barrier to non-use was the preference to avoid technology during hiking activities.Discussion: Mobile applications facilitated the planning, development, and dissemination of routes and also influenced decision-making and visitor flow management.Conclusions: Understanding usage patterns is essential for balancing conservation and recrea-tional experience in Protected Natural Areas.