Title of Paper

Overtourism Perceptions in U.S. National Parks: A Visitor Perspective

Author Bios (50 Words for each Author)

Erin Jones is an alumna of California State University, Monterey Bay where she studied Ecotourism Management within the Sustainable Hospitality Management program. Her research interests include ecotourism, sustainability, wildlife tourism management, and ecological and social justice.

Dr. Roberta Atzori is an Assistant Professor at the California State University, Monterey Bay, where she teaches and conducts research in the Sustainable Hospitality Management Program. Her research interests include sustainable tourism, ecotourism, and climate change mitigation and adaptation in tourism destinations.

Dr. Liza Cobos is an Assistant Professor of Hospitality Leadership at Missouri State University. She publishes and presents in international and national conferences focused on hospitality and tourism areas. As a researcher, she seeks opportunities to combine her industry experience to pursue practical solutions to current industry challenges.

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.

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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.