It's not all bad, I'm sure having the face of the hobby being young cool people in hawaiian shirts and tiny packs would draw more younger people in. And people like Liz Thomas I'm sure draw people from more urban backgrounds.
Reminds me of reading carrot Quinn's book, how many people in her demographic choose hiking as their pastime in the UK, I've no idea but suspect fewer that there could be.
Oh totes! Probably better than the less subtle method I suggested in response to the Lake District Park Authority's self-flagellation over the lamentable 'under-representation' of certain demographic groupings in the NP area. Send out press gangs (the old Navy sort, not the new media type) to likely capture zones, biff under-representeds over the head and helicopter them to the AONB when they can wake to a glorious sunrise in stunning surroundings and be converts for life.
There again, remember The North Face? That started life iirc as a serious hiking brand, then somehow morphed into a massive must-have fashion label for the young, but I don't get the impression it brought many more of them out onto the hills - just the high street.
With a bit of luck, some transmutation in cool factor might deem mountain hiking the next 'in' activity for millions of young people etc. With a bit more luck I'll be dead by then. Grumpy old man.