African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, Volume 8 (3) - (2019) ISSN: 2223-814X Copyright: © 2019 AJHTL /Author/s- Open Access- Online @ http//: www.ajhtl.com 1 Tourist Trails in Peripheral City Areas Henry de Jesús Toro Ríos Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences University of Medellín. Medellín, Colombia htoro@udem.edu.co https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0376-4124 Abstract In this article, we examine the problem of tourist trails located in city peripheries, using a case study of trails in the Cerro Pan de Azúcar, a geographic area in the central-eastern suburbs of Medellín, Colombia. To this end, extant literature was examined regarding issues such as urban development, city peripheries, popular neighbourhoods, tourist trails and the territory. Additionally, with an exploratory methodology and fieldwork based on visual prospecting, participatory work with local communities and surveying topographic profiles, the study area was contextualised and technical data sheets were developed, which provide data on the trails studied. The findings are translated into technical information that contribute to promoting and preserving the environment to the extent that recognising the trails and promoting local inhabitants make these paths a viable alternative for social, environmental and economic development. Conclude that it is necessary to draw attention to the issue of peripheral trail preservation on any municipal administration’s agenda, as otherwise, they inevitably tend to disappear. Keywords: urban development, periphery, popular neighbourhoods, tourist trails, territory Introduction The problem tackled in this article is the development of trails located in peripheral areas of the city of Medellin, Colombia, as the uncertainty is subject to the city’s growth, because this phenomenon is a dynamic and inevitable fact, implying that the peripheries contained in neighbourhoods grow, in most cases, from the inside out. According to the United Nations (UN) report ‘The State of the World’s Cities 2012/2013: Prosperity of Cities’, urban peripheries are currently expanding to all the regions of the planet, with different intensities and characteristics. Geneletti, La Rosa, Spyra and Cortinovis (2017) argue that as urban systems continue to grow throughout the world, urban peripheries increase in number and typology, which makes their planning a challenge for sustainable development. It is important to consider different types of peripheries because the historical and sociological processes differ according to human settlements. Therefore, the planning, especially of peripheral areas, can neither follow a single academic or political discourse nor a single paradigmatic approach, much less local administrations that propose unilateral planning actions. A multi-sectoral approach to urban infrastructure is an essential component for its improvement. (UN-Habitat, 2018). Hypothetically, peri-urban trails may have two different fates: on the one hand, they may disappear, since urban growth is imminent and buildings may be built on the route it occupied for many centuries. On the other hand, constituting the most important point here, they could be enhanced for leisure and recreation and could thus also become tourist attractions contributing to the Medellín city’s branding strategies. Currently, in peri-urban environments, tourism, leisure and recreation activities are foreseeable (Carril & Araújo, 2012); however, hiking can give rise to both positive and