On 22 October 2026, a focus group discussion entitled “From Trails to Regional Value: Transforming Local Resources into Sustainable Recreational Trail Development” was held at Kazlų Rūda Municipality. The event was organised by researchers from the Institute of Economics and Rural Development of the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences as part of the research project “Sustainable Rural Development via Recreational Trails (TRACKS)”. The project is implemented by Dr Goda Lukoševičiūtė, Dr Vitalija Simonaitytė and Dr Erika Ribašauskienė.
The discussion focused on the potential of recreational trails to generate greater economic, social and cultural value for local areas. Together with local stakeholders, participants explored the natural, cultural and infrastructural resources of Kazlų Rūda, the challenges associated with recreational trail development, and opportunities to expand tourism services and strengthen the involvement of local businesses.
During the meeting, participants examined the process of developing recreational trails, from the initial idea to a successfully operating trail that is actively used by visitors and properly maintained.
A particularly lively discussion centred on how recreational trails could be better integrated with a wider range of local services and how to encourage visitors to spend more time in Kazlų Rūda. Participants explored opportunities to develop food and beverage, accommodation, leisure and other tourism services linked to recreational trails, as well as to create integrated tourism offerings that meet visitors’ needs. The availability of accommodation emerged as an important issue that may influence tourists’ decisions to extend their stays in the area. The discussion also highlighted the need to strengthen cooperation between local businesses, communities and the municipality to ensure that recreational trail visitors generate greater benefits for the local economy.
Throughout the discussion, participants shared their practical experiences, identified key challenges and considered potential actions that could help develop recreational trails not merely as tourism infrastructure, but also as instruments for local economic and social development.
The insights gathered during the focus group will be analysed and incorporated into further research activities within the TRACKS project. The findings will contribute to the development of evidence-based recommendations for sustainable recreational trail development, strengthening local business opportunities and increasing the value generated by recreational trails for rural areas.
More information about the project: https://www.ekvi.lt/en/scientific-project/sustainable-rural-area-development-via-recreational-trails
This project has received funding from the Research Council of Lithuania (LMTLT), agreement No S-MIP-24-43.
Project duration: September 2024 – August 2027
Project team: Dr. Goda Lukoševičiūtė goda.lukoseviciute@lcss.lt
Dr. Vitalija Simonaitytė vitalija.simonaityte@lcss.lt
Dr. Erika Ribašauskienė erika.ribasauskiene@lcss.lt