ABSTRACT
For the purposes of this chapter, ‘touring routes’ are roads or road segments that are marketed as a collective entity to self-drive tourists. Much of the literature on touring routes is concerned specifically with themed touring routes where the marketing is around a particular concept such as gastronomy (Telfer 2001), heritage (Caton and Santos 2007) or nature (Laws and Scott 2003). Other touring routes are possible, and the discussion in this chapter is not limited simply to ‘themed’ touring routes. For example, some touring routes have derived from a well-established access road or highway linking, such as the Kidman Way in Australia, which meanders from Victoria, through Outback New South Wales, to southern Queensland. It offers an alternative north-south route and the opportunity to experience the Australian Outback to the benefit of many small towns.
