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Advancing Sustainable Development and Protected Area Management with Social Media-Based Tourism Data
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Region
Year
This study uses social media to measure tourism levels and spatial variation in The Bahamas Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Andros Island. Social media data from Flickr was found to be well correlated with visitor counts from entrance surveys. Annual visitation to The Bahamas MPAs was estimated to be an average of 383,000 visitor days.…
Citation
Arkema, K.K., Fisher, D.M., Wyatt, K., Wood, S.A. and Payne, H.J. 2021. Advancing sustainable development and protected area management with social media-based tourism data. Sustainability 2021(13), 2427.
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Assessing the potential of social media for estimating recreational use of urban and peri-urban forests
This study analyzes data from Twitter, Flickr, and Instagram to assess visitation at 10 urban and peri-urban Swiss National Forest Inventory sites and evaluates recreational models on a national scale. Social media text was analyzed and a Flickr-based model and Twitter-based model were compared with a pre-existing potential recreation demand (PRD) model to estimate recreational…
Citation
Wartmann, F.M., Baer, M.F., Hegetschweiler, K.T., Fischer, C., Hunziker, M. and Purves, R.S. 2021. Assessing the potential of social media for estimating recreational use of urban and peri-urban forests. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 64(2021),127261.
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Bears Ears and Outdoor Recreation in San Juan County, Utah
Region
Year
Utah State University researchers found that the creation of the Bears Ears National Monument in San Juan County, Utah, has likely increased outdoor recreation volume and growth in outdoor recreation-related industries. Retail trade, scientific, professional, and technical services as well as food services have all experienced significant economic growth in the three years after the…
Citation
Smith, J., Wilkins, E., Miller, A.B. 2021. Bears Ears and Outdoor Recreation in San Juan County, Utah. Society & Natural Resources 34(7): 966-979.
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Economic Impacts of Local Park Visitor Spending on Local Communities: A Case of Mississippi Parks
This study analyzes the economic impacts of visitor expenditures at local parks operated by the Pat Harrison Waterway District (PHWD) in Mississippi which provide amenities like boat launches, fishing opportunities, camping, and trails. A survey and input-output model from IMPLAN is used to model expenditures. Visitors’ total local spending was estimated to be $5.1 million…
Citation
Choi, J. and Jeon, H. 2021. Economic Impacts of Local Park Visitor Spending on Local Communities: A Case of Mississippi Parks. International Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management 5(2): 37-44.
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Estimating trail use and visitor spatial distribution using mobile device data: An example from the nature reserve of Orange County, California USA
This study uses mobile data from the analysis platform Streetlight to estimate visitor use in four urban parks and protected areas in Orange County, California. The mobile device methods are compared to other trail counting methods to determine whether mobile device data could be a reliable measure of trailhead visitation counts and spatial distribution of…
Citation
Creany, N.E., Monz, C.A., D’Antonio, A., Sisneros-Kidd, A., Wilkins, E.J., Nesbitt, J. and Mitrovich, M. 2021. Estimating trail use and visitor spatial distribution using mobile device data: An example from the nature reserve of Orange County, California USA. Environmental Challenges 4(2021), 100171.
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Expanding the toolbox: Assessing methods for local outdoor recreation planning
This study analyzes how different data collection methods can support local recreation planning. Data is compared on current land use (land already used by outdoor recreationists) and the potential use (land that is not used by outdoor recreationists) through participatory mapping, free listing, photo ranking, and analysis of social media data. Local planners were interviewed…
Citation
Komossa, F., Wartmann, F.M. and Verburg, P.H. 2021. Expanding the toolbox: Assessing methods for local outdoor recreation planning. Landscape and Urban Planning 212 (2021), 104105.
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Measuring Americans’ Comfort With Research Uses of Their Social Media Data
This study evaluates American perspectives on how social media data is used by researchers. A scenario-based survey with American Facebook users demonstrated that factors such as the type of researcher, content, purpose of data use, and awareness of data collection influence their level of comfort or concern regarding data use. This study provides recommendations for…
Citation
Gilbert, S., Vitak, J. and Shilton, K. 2021. Measuring Americans’ comfort with research uses of their social media data. Social Media + Society 7(3): 1-13.
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Mountain bike tourism economic impacts: A critical analysis of academic and practitioner studies
The authors reviewed 33 academic and practitioner studies on mountain bike tourism and found inconsistencies in the methodology for measuring economic impacts. They critique the existing literature and make recommendations to improve variable instruments and analysis. The authors claim more coherent and consistent variables analyses will better support community advocates in their push for the…
Citation
Buning, R.J. and Lamont, M. 2021. Mountain bike tourism economic impacts: A critical analysis of academic and practitioner studies. Tourism Economics 27(3): 500-509.
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No Walk in the Park: The Viability and Fairness of Social Media Analysis for Parks and Recreation Policy Making
This study examines the biases in social media analyses using different data sources that estimate the number and demographics of visitors to urban parks. Flickr, Instagram, an on-site survey, an online/phone survey, and an AI facial recognition program are utilized to address the bias that can be generated from different social media platforms. The number…
Citation
Mashhadi, A., Winder, S.G., Lia, E.H. and Wood, S.A. 2021. No walk in the park: the viability and fairness of social media analysis for parks and recreational policy making. In Proceedings of the International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media 15: 409-420.
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Uses and Limitations of Social Media to Inform Visitor Use Management in Parks and Protected Areas: A Systematic Review
This study reviews the scientific literature of studies using social media to measure visitation patterns and visitors’ experiences in parks and outdoor recreational areas. The majority of studies they reviewed (79%) used a single social media platform, with Flickr being the most common. The authors provide five “best practices” which are a list of recommendations…
Citation
Wilkins, E.J., Wood, S.A. and Smith, J.W. 2021. Uses and limitations of social media to inform visitor use management in parks and protected areas: A systematic review. Environmental Management 67(1): 120-132.
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Using Social Media Data to Evaluate Urban Parks Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic
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Region
Year
This study measures use and perceptions of eight urban parks in Bucharest, Romania, using Instagram posts and Google reviews during the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of posts and reviews was found to be correlated with the initial lockdown, as both on average decreased during March, April, and May, and increased after June as restrictions lessened…
Citation
Niță, M.R., Arsene, M., Barbu, G., Cus, A.G., Ene, M., Serban, R.M., Stama, C.M. and Stoia, L.N. 2021. Using social media data to evaluate urban parks use during the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18(20), 10860.
Library of Trails Benefits
This Trails Benefits Library is a collection of studies on the positive impacts of trails on businesses, public health, and quality of life. Use this form to search by type of benefit, use, year, and region.