Title of Paper
Overtourism Perceptions in U.S. National Parks: A Visitor Perspective
Abstract (150 Words)
An increase of visitation is recorded in several of the United States’ national parks, even throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. This inevitably has an impact on the grounds, surrounding communities, and overall visitor experience. This study aims to understand how the impacts of overtourism are affecting visitor perceptions of the top ten most visited U.S. national parks. Data scraping from TripAdvisor reviews is utilized to frame a visitor survey which will measure perceptions of different aspects of the visitor experience such as overcrowding and the state of the facilities and natural scenery. To gain understanding of the role visitor expectations play in visitor satisfaction, the Expectancy Disconfirmation Theory is referenced and discussed. The U.S. National Park Service’s founding missions are considered in addition to a review of available literature on overtourism and nature-based tourism trends. Expected results of the study are outlined before opportunities for future research are suggested.
Overtourism Perceptions in U.S. National Parks: A Visitor Perspective
An increase of visitation is recorded in several of the United States’ national parks, even throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. This inevitably has an impact on the grounds, surrounding communities, and overall visitor experience. This study aims to understand how the impacts of overtourism are affecting visitor perceptions of the top ten most visited U.S. national parks. Data scraping from TripAdvisor reviews is utilized to frame a visitor survey which will measure perceptions of different aspects of the visitor experience such as overcrowding and the state of the facilities and natural scenery. To gain understanding of the role visitor expectations play in visitor satisfaction, the Expectancy Disconfirmation Theory is referenced and discussed. The U.S. National Park Service’s founding missions are considered in addition to a review of available literature on overtourism and nature-based tourism trends. Expected results of the study are outlined before opportunities for future research are suggested.